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LIBRARY  OF  PRINCETON 

JUL  2  6  2004 

[ 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 

Historical  Sketches 


Missions 


inder  tHe  Ccire  of  the 


Board  of  Foreign   Missions  of  the 

Presbyterian   Church 

U.  S.  A. 


'  Each  several  building,  fitly  framed  together,  groweth  into 
a  holy  temple  in  the  Lord  "—Paul  to  the  Ephesians:  it;  21. 


F'OURTH    EDITION 

(revised  and  enlarged) 


NVOIVIA-N'S    FOREIGN    IVIISSIOXJVRY    SOCIETY    OE    THl 
F>RESBYTEFeiA.N    CHURCH 

Witlierspoon   Building,    PhiUidelplnici 
1897 


r^nnm. 


'"^^cms^^" 


CONTENTS 


I'AGK 

Africa, 9 

China 37 

Chinese  in  the  United  States,         .         .  7i 

India 77 

Japan ^^9 

Japanese  in  the  I'nited  States,           .         •  544 

Korea, ^47 

Mexico, •         •         •  167 

Guatemala, '95 

North  American  Indians,      .....  203 

Persia, 235 

SiAM  AND  Laos ^7^ 

South  America,    ...                  ...  301 

Syria, ■343 


INTRODUCTORY  NOTE 


In  sending  out  a  new  edition  of  the  "  Historical  Sketches 
of  Missions,"  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
desires  to  express  its  gratitude  to  all  those  abroad  and  at 
home  who  have  kindly  assisted  in  the  work  of  revision. 
Especial  thanks  are  due  to  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D., 
who  has  given  us  the  benefit  of  his  extensive  and  accurate 
knowledge  of  India  and  the  Indian  Missions;  to  the  Rev. 
Hubert  W.  Brown  for  the  Sketch  of  Mexico;  'to  Mrs.  J. 
Beatty  Howell  for  the  Sketch  of  Brazil;  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Gillespie,  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missmis;  to  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Labaree,  of  Persia;  to  Dr.  J.  C.  Hepburn,  of  Japan;  to  the 
Rev.  Dr.  Pond,  of  Colombia;  the  Rev.  Dr^Henr>%  of  China; 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Nassau,  of  Africa;  the  Rev.  W.  B.  Boomer, 
of  Chili;  the  Rev.  John  A.  Eakin  and  Miss  Eakin,  of  Siam; 
the  Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett,  of  Korea;  the  Rev.  and  Mrs^  Ira  M. 
Condit,  of  San  Francisco;  the  Rev.  W.  S.  Nelson,  of  Syria; 
and  the  Rev.  A,lbert  B.  Robinson,  of  The  Church  at  Home 
and  Abroad.  '^ 

Great  pains  have  been  taken  to  make  all  statements  as 
accurate  as  is  possible  in  an  ever-growing  work.  We  shall 
be  glad  to  know  of  any  errors,  that  they  may  be  corrected  in 
a  future  edition. 

We  only  regret  that  the  necessary  limits  of  space  prevent 
us  from  doing  the  justice  we  could  wish  to  the  devoted 
men  and  women  whose  lives  are  wrought  into  the  story  of 
Presbyterian  Missions.  This  meagre  record  of  their  self- 
denying  labors  may  seem  to  many  monotonous  and  common- 
place; but  those  who  read  with  the  eyes  of  an  enlightened 
heart,  will  see,  as  another  has  said,  "emerging  from  this 
confused  mass  of  detail,  something  lovelier  than  the  Taj 
Mahal,  nobler  than  the  Parthenon,  more  enduring  than  the 
Pyramids — nothing  less  than  the  form  of  the  universal 
Kingdom  of  God  springing  up  on  earth;  the  New  Jerusalem 
coming  down  from  Heaven." 


Africa 


(2) 


AFRICA. 


Gaboon  and  Corisco  Mission. 

This  mission  occupies  the  Island  of  Corisco,  and  the  shore 
of  the  Gulf  of  Guinea,  from  the  equator  to  near  Kamerun 
Bay,  4°  north  latitude.     It  also  extends  east  into  the  interior 
about  150  miles  behind  the  coast  belt  at  Batanga. 
p       .    .  The   coast  line   is   low,    rising    towards    and 

Asoects  below   the  equator.     The    navigation    of  the 

shore  is  dangerous,  with  reefs  and  isolated 
rocks;  and  tlie  mouths  of  the  numerous  rivers  are  obstructed 
by  sand-bars.  Close  to  the  hard,  yellowish  sand  beach  is  a 
dense  growth  of  bushes,  flowering  vines  and  low  trees, 
above  which  tower  the  gracefully-rounded  heads  of  the  coco, 
oil,  bamboo  and  other  palms.  This  narrow  strip  of  jungle 
follows  the  shore  line.  Behind  it  is  a  belt  of  sand}'^  swamps, 
covered  with  tufts  of  coarse  grass,  which  gives  pasture  to 
herds  of  oxen,  antelopes  and  other  wild  animals.  Back  of 
this,  at  an  average  distance  of  a  mile  from  the  sea,  the  land 
slowl}"  rises  and  bears  a  heavy  growth  of  timber,  extending 
inland  200  or  300  miles.  In  this  forest  are  found  elephants, 
oxen,  pigs,  antelopes,  gazelles,  monkeys,  chimpanzees, 
gorillas  and  other  animals;  and  the  numerous  rivers  s\Varm 
with  hippopotami.  The  Benita,  Muni,  Gaboon  and  Ogowe 
drain  the  country,  and  are  fed  by  many  small  affluents.  A 
chain  of  mountains,  the  Sierra  del  Crystal,  runs  southeast 
from  Batanga,  where  it  juts  into  the  sea,  until  it  strikes  the 
Congo  far  inland,  making  the  "  Yellala  Falls"  of  Capt. 
Tuckey. 

The  natives  roam  through  the  forests,  hunt- 
The  People        ing   ivory   and  gathering   ebony,    dye-woods, 

palm-oil,  and  gums,  copal  and  caoutchouc. 
But  they  build  their  villages  only  on  the  banks  of  streams 
for  convenience  of  their  canoes  and  boats,  the  water  courses 
being  their  only  highways.  Their  farms  of  plantains,  cassava, 
maize,  sugar-cane,  etc.,  are  made  in  forest  clearings.     Their 


14 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 


The  natives  have  a  religion,  but  it  is  a  superstition  called 
Fetishism.  It  does  not  come  as  near  to  a  worship  of  God  as 
idolatry  does,  for  the  idolater  professes  to  worship  God 
through  the  symbol  of  the  idol,  but  the  African  negro,  though 
distinctly  admitting  the  existence  of  a  supreme  being  as  a 
creator  and  "  father,"  gives  him  no  actual  worship.  Sacri- 
fices are  made  of  food,  and  occasionally  of  blood — sometimes 
human — to  spirits,  to  which  prayers  are  regularly  offered  at 
the  new  moons,  by  the  village  patriarch  or  his  deputies,  and 
at  other  times  by  any  individual  in  sudden  danger.  But 
these  prayers  have  no  confession  of  sin,  no  thanks,  no  praise. 
Fetishism  consists  in  the  wearing  of  charms  or  amulets  to  aid 
in  the  accomplishment  of  any  given  wish,  or  to  ward  oflF  the 
machinations  of  a  possible  enemy.  These  charms  may  liter- 
ally be  anythino; — a  shell,  a  bone,  even  a  rag  that  has  been 
consecrated  by  the  fetish  doctor,  who  professes,  with  his 
drugs  and  incantations,  to  inject  into  it  a  spirit,  by  whose 
efficiency  the  sick  are  to  be  healed,  and  the  hunter,  trader, 
warrior,  gardener,  etc. ,  etc. ,  made  successful.  Rules  are  also 
to  be  obeyed  of  abstaining  from  certain  kinds  of  food,  refrain- 
ing from  contact  with  certain  articles,  avoiding  certain 
localities,  etc  These  rules,  and  the  dread  of  malignant 
spiritual  influences,  whose  power  is  thus  to  be  placated,  make 
the  religion  of  the  native  negro  a  bondage  of  fear. 
„      r  .  Work  among  the  natives  is  pleasant  and  hope- 

ChTaaeristics  ^^.^  because  of— (  i )  Their  receptivity  .—In  our 
Itinerations  and  village  preaching  they  are 
attracted  by  the  singing  of  hymns,  listen  with  curiosity, 
and  give  a  prompt  assent  to  the  truth  and  excellence  of  the 
gospel  message,  not  often  disputing,  though  objecting  to  the 
practical  application  of  the  decalogue  to  their  lives  and  cus- 
toms. We  are  not  deceived  by  this  ready  assent.  It  does 
not  arise  from  a  welcome  of  the  Saviour,  whose  name  and 
gospel  is  utterly  new  to  them,  but  from  an  absence  of  any 
regular  system  of  theology.  Having  no  such  system  for 
which  to  fight,  they  accept  our  statements  out  of  a  race- 
reverence  and  personal  respect  and  courtesy.  But  e\en  this 
gives  us  an  opportunity  of  giving  instruction  which  prepares 
the  way  for  the  truth  to  enter  in. 

(2)  Their  hospitality. — Though  not  cordial  to  strangers, 
they  are  warm  in  their  welcome  of  members  of  tribes  or 
families  with  whom  they  have  marriage  or  commercial  rela- 
tions. And  they  are  particularly  polite  in  their  reception  of 
all  foreign  visitors,  such  as  traders  and  missionaries.     When 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  1 5 

we  acknowledge  the  claims  for  recognition  of  the  village 
chiefs,  and  formally  make  ourselves  their  guests,  we  are  at 
once  accorded  the  freedom  of  the  town,  to  go  where  and  do 
as  we  please  in  its  huts  and  around  its  fires;  food  is  provided, 
the  best  hut  cleared  for  our  use,  and  our  persons,  boat,  goods 
and  crew  are  perfectly  safe.  This  hospitality  and  honesty 
are,  indeed,  but  a  thin  covering  to  a  wild  nature;  for,  if  we 
independently  encamp  in  a  forest  near  a  village,  we  may  be 
robbed,  and  then  there  is  no  redress.  But  even  such  hospi- 
tality renders  us  safe;  and  the  slight  gifts  expected  to  be  made 
in  parting  are  no  more  than  would  be  given  in  payment  for 
food  and  lodging  in  a  civilized  country. 

(3)  Their  kindness. — Each  missionary  on  arrival  is  ad- 
dressed with  the  title  of  "father"  or  "mother;"  and  the 
pleasant  feelings  that  soon  grow  up  between  teacher  and  pupil 
or  employer  and  employes  become  strong  and  often  tender. 
We  are  not  called  by  opprobrious  names,  nor  looked  upon 
with  suspicion  or  coldness.  This  is,  in  general,  true;  but, 
in  connection  with  the  new  stations  along  the  Ogowe,  the 
missionaries  have  had  more  trouble  with  the  fierce  and  war- 
like Fang  tribe,  who  are  disposed  to  encroach  upon  mission 
rights.  Courage  and  prudence  on  the  part  of  the  occupants 
have  so  far,  however,  compelled  respect. 

(4)  Their  docility . — They  are  obedient,  as  children  or  ser- 
vants. We  are  accorded  large  authority,  much  the  same  as 
native  chiefs  have  in  their  villages.  Indeed,  that  was  the 
position  that  was  formally  voted  in  the  council  of  Corisco 
chiefs  to  Mr.  Macke}'  and  his  successors  on  his  location  on 
that  island.  The  same  is  more  or  less  true  in  other  parts  of 
our  field,  according  as  the  missionary's  own  character  is 
personally  an  impressive  one.  On  his  own  premises  he  is 
sometimes  as  father  to  children,  teacher  to  pupils,  master 
to  employes,  judge  to  transgressors  and  magistrate  to 
offenders. 

TT  r  ,,        ( I  )    Wa)it   of  effective    Qovernmeyit   sometimes 

Unfavorable      >  ,     r  .'.  ■'■'       r    /  ^  ^  ^-  tt 

Features  interferes  with  comfort  at  our  stations.      Un- 

kind feelings,  engendered  by  jealousy  or  slan- 
der or  misunderstanding,  lead  to  petty  outrages,  which, 
if  submitted  to,  open  the  way  to  greater  and  more  audacious 
acts,  for  which  no  immediate  redress  can  be  obtained. 
Rightly  to  deal  with  such  cases  calls  for  patience,  prudence, 
decision  and  tact. 

( 2  )  Indolence  is  natural  to  the  people.  Their  wants,  being 
few  in  food  or  clothing,  are  easily  supplied  from  the  rivers, 


l6  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

their  women's  farms,  and  from  the  forest.  They  have  no 
trades,  and  but  very  limited  arts  of  rude  house  and  boat- 
building, carpentering  and  blacksmithing.  When  they  pro- 
fess Christianity  their  change  of  heart  does  not  at  once  and 
entirely  make  them  diligent  where  there  is  small  occasion 
for  diligence;  and  the  native  Christian,  left  to  himself,  lives 
like  his  heathen  fellows,  excepting  their  vices.  It  is  neces- 
sary, therefore,  to  teach  them  industries,  and  stimulate 
ambition.  Unlike  some  tribes  of  southern  Africa,  they  are 
willing  to  change  their  rude  tools  and  utensils,  readily  accept 
ours,  and  are  glad  to  be  taught  carpentering.  This  is  a  field 
in  which  lay  missionaries,  e.g.,  mechanics,  are  especially 
useful . 

(3)  Slavery  probably  existed  in  Africa  as  a  punishment 
for  crime  long  before  it  was  stimulated  to  the  seizure  of  weaker 
neighbors  and  tribes,  to  supply  a  foreign  market.  The 
united  influence  of  the  many  missionary  societies  that  line 
the  coast,  and  the  efforts  of  one  Christian  nation  after  another, 
have  broken  up  the  trade  in  Guinea  negroes.  There  is  now 
not  a  single  slave  exported  from  the  west  coast  of  Africa, 
although  it  is  still  done  clandestinely  on  the  east  coast.  And 
while  suppressed  on  the  west  coast,  it  exists  unrestrained 
as  a  domestic  institution,  the  criminal  class  being  passed 
' '  down  river ' '  from  the  interior  to  the  coast.  Their  presence 
as  the  labor-class  makes  labor  to  the  native  eye  distasteful 
and  dishonorable,  giving  to  the  native  Christian  a  plea  for 
and  temptation  to  idleness. 

(4)  /?//(f;;z/!>(v-a;/r<:' is  a  sad  obstacle.  The  natives  have  their 
own  beer,  made  from  over-ripe  plantains  and  bananas,  and  a 
sour  wine  from  the  sap  of  the  oil  and  bamboo  palms.  But 
they  have  learned  to  like  the  more  intoxicating  qualities  of 
our  imported  rum,  gin  and  whiskey.  These  are  obtained  in 
abundance  at  almost  all  the  English,  Scotch,  German,  and 
other  foreign  trading-houses  and  dram-shops  at  the  depots  of 
the  steamers  and  other  vessels  of  commerce  on  the  coast  and 
up  the  rivers.  Were  it  not  for  the  use  of  foreign  liquors  in 
a  trade  otherwise  legitimate  and  commendable,  the  concur- 
rent testimony  of  our  own  and  adjacent  missions  is  that  our 
native  church  membership  would  be  vastly  greater.  What 
a  record  against  the  Protestant  Christianity  of  Great  Britain 
and  Germany  and  America! 

(5)  Polygamy,  with  its  kindred  vices,  is  a  bitter  root, 
which  develops  into  a  tree  whose  thorny  arms  meet  us  at  everj^ 
path.     It  debases  woman,  disregards  marriage,  destroys  the 


THK    MlSvSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  1 7 

family,  and  interferes  with  our  control  of  female  pupils.  It 
makes  marriage  difficult  for  Christian  young  men  who  desire 
to  be  monogamists;  and,  inwrought  into  the  customs  of 
society  in  many  unmentionable  forms,  follows  our  native 
members  to  the  door  and  even  into  the  church.  The  debase- 
ment which  it  has  wrought  in  the  minds  of  the  natives  has 
sapped  virtue  and  chastity.  It  is  a  sad  fact  that  many  white 
men,  representatives  of  civilization,  trading  on  the  coast,  by 
adopting  polygamy  and  encouraging  kindred  vices,  while 
they  deprive  lust  of  none  of  its  evils,  give  it  a  dignity  that 
even  heathenism  did  not  claim  for  it. 


MISSION  STATIONS. 

(i)  The  Gaboon  district  was  occupied  June 
Baraka  2 2d,    1842,  by  the  American    Board  of  Com- 

missioners for  Foreign  Missions  at  Baraka 
station,  now  Libreville,  on  the  Gaboon,  an  estuary  or  inlet 
of  the  ocean,  ten  miles  from  its  mouth,  and  fifteen  miles 
north  of  the  equator.  This  was  really  a  transfer  of  a  mis- 
sion which  had  been  begun  eight  years  before  at  Cape 
Palmas.  The  founders  of  the  Gaboon  Mission  were  Rev. 
J.  L.  Wilson,  Rev.  Benjamin  Griswold,  Rev.  Albert 
Bushnell,  and  Rev.  William  Walker,  accompanied  by  their 
wives.  Mr.  Walker,  the  last  survivor  of  the  original  band, 
passed  away  Dec.  9,  1896.  He  went  first  to  Cape  Palmas, 
Liberia,  but  was  transferred  to  Gaboon  in  1843.  For  thirty 
years  after  he  was  most  of  the  time  in  Africa,  and  the  cor- 
ner-stone of  the  church,  of  the  Mpongwe  literature,  and  the 
civilization  within  Gaboon  Mission  was  chiefly  laid  by  his 
hands,  and  by  his  associate,  Rev.  Albert  Bushnell.  Other 
names  identified  with  the  mission  are  White,  Porter,  Pres- 
ton, Best,  Ford,  Pierce,  Herrick,  Adams,  Jack,  St.  John, 
Reading,  Marling,  Murphy,  and  a  few  others  of  short 
residence. 

Mr.  Griswold 's  name  is  connected  with  a  second  station, 
Ozyunga,  two  miles  distant  from  Baraka,  which  was  finally 
abandoned  ;  Rev.  Ira  M.  Preston's  name  with  a  third  station, 
Olendebenk,  twenty-five  miles  up  the  estuary  from  Baraka, 
which  also,  because  of  tribal  wars  and  other  causes,  was 
abandoned  :  the  names  of  Revs.  E.  J.  Pierce,  H.  P.  Her- 
rick and  H.  M.  Adams,  with  Nengenenge,  sixty  miles  up 
the  .estuary.  This  station,  after  being  forsaken  for  twenty 
3'ears  because  of  its  unhealthfulness,  was  resumed  in   1881, 


l8  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

but  it  was  destroyed  by  a  French  gunboat  not  long  after, 
and  a  new  station  was  opened  at  Angoni,  ten  miles  beyond. 

In  1843  intrigues  were  begun  which,  in  1844,  resulted  in 
the  possession  of  that  part  of  the  coast  by  France,  and  the 
erection  of  a  colonial  government,  with  headquarters  at 
Gaboon.  Successes  in  mission  work  and  native  conver- 
sions in  1849  aroused  heathen  opposition  and  actual  perse- 
cution of  native  Christians. 

Rev.  Messrs.  Preston  and  Best  prepared  a  grammar  and 
part  of  the  Gospels  in  the  Dikele  dialect.  Henry  A.  Ford, 
M.D.,  was  a  skilful  physician,  and  wrote  a  monograph  on 
African  fevers,  which  is  a  standard  for  reference  on  that 
subject.  The  names  of  Mrs.  Walker,  Mrs.  Preston  and 
Mrs.  Busiinell  are  especially  connected  with  the  Baraka 
girls'  school.  Scanty  reinforcements  and  frequent  returns 
of  those  disabled  by  illness  left  Gaboon  in  1870  with  only 
one  station,  Baraka.  In  April,  1871,  this  station  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and 
the  work  was  united  with  that  at  Corisco,  under  the  name 
of  the  ' '  Gaboon  and  Corisco  Mission  ' '  Reinforcements 
were  sent  to  Baraka,  and  it  was  for  some  time  the  central 
station  of  the  mission.  Lying  on  the  Gaboon  River,  ten 
miles  from  the  sea,  it  is  a  depot  for  steamers,  and  has  all 
the  advantages  as  well  as  the  drawbacks  of  a  port  of  entry. 
Rev.  W.  C.  Gault  and  Mrs.  Gault  labored  here  for  some 
years,  and  after  their  transfer  to  Batanga  Rev.  Dr.  Nassau, 
Mr.  E.  A.  Ford,  Mrs.  T.  S.  Ogden,  and  Mr.  E.  Presset,  a 
French  teacher,  carried  on  much  evangelistic  and  educa- 
tional work,  extending  the  influence  of  the  mission  for 
many  miles  around.  There  is  a  church  with  70  members, 
now  under  the  oversight  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Nassau,  the  patri- 
arch of  the  African  mission.  Schools  were  at  first  taught 
in  the  Mpongwe  tongue,  but  after  the  French  began  to 
enforce  their  claim  to  this  region  in  1878,  their  requirement 
that  all  instruction  should  be  given  in  French  necessitated 
the  employment  of  teachers  who  could  use  that  language. 
Then  began  brighter  days.  Baraka  has  since  been  strength- 
ened in  the  number  of  workers  ;  its  work  has  grown,  the 
church  has  increased. 

The  distinctive  importance  of  Gaboon  parish  is  geograph- 
ical and  financial.  Baraka  was  the  depot  of  steamers  ; 
our  supplies  were  kept  there  ;  it  was  our  post-office,  and, 
being  central,  most  of  our  mission  and  Presbytery  meetings 
were  held  there. 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.      .  1 9 

'Since  1893,  these  have  been  transferred  to  Batanga, which 
is  the  centre  at  present.  The  schools  formerly  carried  on  in 
the  Mpongwe  dialect  were  closed  because  of  the  restrictions 
of  the  French  Government,  which  requires  all  instruction  to 
be  given  in  the  French  language.  Within  the  past  few 
years,  however,  schools  have  been  conducted  by  French 
teachers  connected  with  our  mission,  sec^ired  through  the 
kindness  of  the  Socictc  des  Missiofis  Evaiii^ cliques  of  Paris. 

(2)  The  Corisco  district  was  occupied  as  a 
Corisco  distinct   mission    by  the    Presbyterian    Board 

in  1850.  Corisco  is  a  beautiful  island,  five 
miles  long  and  three  wide,  sixty  miles  north  of  the  equator, 
and  fifteen  to  twenty  miles  from  the  mainland  on  Corisco 
bay.  The  dialect  is  the  Benga.  Among  the  workers  here 
were  Rev.  J.  L.  and  Mrs.  Mackey,  Rev.  C.  and  Mrs.  De 
Heer,  and  Rev.  Ibia  J'Ikenge,  whose  lives  cover  the  thirty- 
one  years  from  1850  to  1881.  Associated  with  them  are  the 
names  of  Simpson,  Clemens,  McQueen,  Williams,  Ogden, 
Loomis,  Clark,  Nassau,  Paull,  Reutlinger,  Menaul,  Gilles- 
pie, and  others  of  shorter  residence. 

Messrs.  Mackey  and  Simpson  were  the  founders  of  the 
first  Corisco  station  at  Evangasimba,  where  the  former  left 
his  impress  upon  the  natives  as  a  man  of  sterling  integrity, 
good  judgment  and  tact.  A  second  station,  Ugobi,  two 
miles  south  of  Evangasimba,  was  soon  opened,  where  Rev. 
G.  and  Mrs.  Georgiana  (Bliss)  McQueen  are  remembered  as 
careful  trainers  and  educators,  their  pupils  being  noted  as 
excellent  interpreters  and  English  speakers.  A  third  sta- 
tion, Elongo,  three  miles  north  of  Evangasimba,  was  estab- 
lished, where  Rev.  William  and  Mrs.  Clemens  were  known 
for  their  labor  for  pupils  from  the  mainland,  whither  Mr.  C. 
made  numerous  and  long  boat-journeys.  A  fourth  station, 
Maluku,  was  located  near  Evangasimba,  and  here  lived  the 
careful  translator  and  conscientious  pastor.  Rev.  T.  S. 
Ogden.  To  the  care  of  himself  and  Mrs.  Ogden  was  trans- 
ferred Mrs.  Mackey 's  flourishing  girls'  school,  which  after- 
wards passed  successively  into  the  hands  of  Mrs.  Maria 
r Jackson)  Clark  and  Mrs.  Mary  (Latta)  Nassau.  This 
school  was  finalh'  placed  at  Elongo,  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
C  and  Mrs.  De  Heer  and  Mrs  Reutlinger,  on  the  occasion 
of  the  removal  of  the  work  at  Maluku  ( and  eventually  that 
of  Evangasimba)  to  the  mainland  at  the  Benito  river.  Ugobi 
had  previously  been  consolidated  with  Elongo,  the  four 
Corisco  stations  being  thus  reduced  to  one. 


20  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF 

Corisco  had  been  selected  as  a  mission  basis  under  two 
beliefs — (i)  that  its  insular  position  would  assure  exemption 
from  fever  ;  (2)  that  missionary  effort  should  be  spent  in 
carefully  educating  natives,  who  would  then  undertake  the 
danger  and  exposure  of  carrying  the  gospel  to  the  distant 
regions.  Neither  of  these  was  realized.  The  island  was 
found  to  be  quite  as  feverish  as  the  mainland  ;  the  confine- 
ment of  teaching  was  less  healthful  than  the  exercise  of 
travel ;  and  the  chronic  tribal  quarrels  made  it  impossible  for 
our  native  agents  to  go  any  great  distance  from  their  own 
tribe.  It  was  found  that  missionaries  could  travel  with 
advantage  to  their  own  health  and  with  more  safety  from  the 
hands  of  rude  distant  tribes  than  the  native  Christians 
could.  It  was  therefore  not  discouragement  or  weakness 
that  reduced  the  four  Corisco  stations  to  the  present  single 
one  at  Elongo. 

The  distinctive  importance  of  Corisco  is  as  a  field  for 
encouraging  native  self-support  and  self  reliance,  the  entire 
care  of  the  district,  church,  school,  etc.,  being  placed  in 
the  hands  of  the  native  ordained  minister.  Rev  Mr.  Ibia 
J'Ikenge,  the  first  convert  baptized  on  the  island.  The 
church  has-a  membership  of  125,  with  several  out-stations. 
In  1896  two  congregations  built  chapels  for  themselves,  and 
the  pastor  is  encouraged  by  the  gradual  spread  of  Christian 
ideas,  and  the  manifest  elevation  of  the  moral  tone  of  the 
island,  through  the  education  of  the  girls  and  women. 

The  Presbytery  of  Corisco,  formed  in  i860,  now  super- 
vises all  the  churches  embraced  in  our  Mission  field.  It  is 
attached  to  the  Synod  of  New  Jersey. 

As  long  ago  as  1858  a  visit  was  made  to  Corisco  by  a 
Spanish  war  vessel  bearing  a  proclamation  from  the  govern- 
or of  Fernando  Po,  to  the  eflfect  that  only  the  Roman 
Catholic  religion  should  be  taught  on  the  island.  The  only 
notice  taken  of  this  was  a  memorial  to  the  United  States 
Government,  which  led  to  an  examination  of  the  claim 
made,  and  the  discovery  that  it  was  without  foundation. 

This  seemed  at  the  time  to  end  the  matter,  as  the  newly 
imported  priests  and  nuns  left  the  island  at  once.  In  1885, 
however,  the  claim  of  Spain  was  revived,  in  antagonism  to 
that  of  France.  Roman  priests  were  again  sent  to  Corisco 
and  the  attempt  to  prohibit  all  Protestant  teaching,  in  any 
language,  was  renewed.  The  question  has  been  referred  to 
the  State  Department  of  Washington. 

These  rival  powers  have  greatly  hampered  the  work  of 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  21 

the  Presbyterian  Board  in  this  region,  but  the  Word  of 
God,  translated  into  the  Mpongwe  and  Benga  dialects,  is  a 
voice  which  cannot  be  altogether  stifled  by  any  strife  of  men. 

(3)  Afigotn,  on  the  river  Como,  the  north- 
Angom  ern  branch  of  the  Gaboon,  was  occupied    in 

1 88 1.  It  affords  a  vast  and  promising  field 
for  missionar}'  labor,  being  a  central  point  among  the  large 
and  vigorous  Fang  tribe.  Forty-three  villages  can  be 
reached  by  land  within  a  few  hours.  Rev.  A.  W  and  Mrs. 
Marling  labored  earnestl}'  here  for  many  years,  with  the 
assistance  of  Mrs.  T.  S.  Ogden,  who  in  the  absence  or  ill- 
ness of  Mr.  Marling,  was  at  times  the  only  missionary  at 
the  station.  In  1892  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs  Bannerman  were 
transferred  here  from  Talaguga,  but  spent  only  a  short  time 
at  the  station  when  a  protracted  absence  became  necessary 
because  of  ill-health.  A  church  was  organized  in  1894, 
which  now  numbers  thirty-seven  members.  Mr.  Marling 
translated  Genesis  and  Matthew  into  the  Fang  language, 
and  prepared  a  "  First  Reading  Book"  and  Catechism,  with 
ten  liymns  attached.  He  died  of  African  fever  in  1896, 
greatly  lamented  by  the  mission,  the  native  Christians  and 
the  Church  in  the  home-land. 

„  ,      (4)    T/ie  OgOTve  district  was  occupied  b}'  Rev. 

Talaffupa  R-  H.  Nassau  in    1874,  at  Belambila,  on  the 

Ogowe  river,  150  miles  up  its  course.  A 
house  was  built  here  among  the  friendly  Bakele,  but  the 
jealous}'  of  other  tribes  made  it  unsafe  to  remain.  In  1876 
the  station  was  removed  twenty  miles  down  the  river  to 
Kangwe  Hill,  among  the  Galwa,  in  the  neighborhood  of 
the  Government  Post  at  Lembarene.  Here  Dr.  Nassau  was 
joined  by  his  sister,  Miss  Isabella  A.  Nassau,  the  first  white 
woman  to  enter  the  Ogowe.  This  location  was  chosen  in 
the  consistent  pursuance  of  what  has  been  ever  the  objec- 
tive point  of  the  mission,  the  interior.  The  failure  to  find 
a  path  via  either  the  Gaboon,  the  Muni  (at  Corisco),  or  the 
Benito,  led  to  the  attempt  of  the  Ogowe,  whose  entrance 
had  recently  been  forced  by  trading  steamers.  This 
attempt  was  stimulated  by  the  very  general  feeling  in  the 
home  churches  that  our  duty  was  unfulfilled  unless  an  im- 
mediate advance  was  made  interiorward. 

In  1876  Count  Pierre  Savorgnan  de  Brazza,  a  lieutenant 
in  the  French  navy,  accompanied  by  MM.  Marche  and  Bal- 
lay,  carefully  explored  and  surveyed  the  Ogowe  to  its  sources. 
Near  those  sources  he  found  in  1878  other  streams,  flowing 


22  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OP 

south  and  east.  On  a  second  journey  he  descended  one  of 
those  streams,  the  Alima,  and  found  that  it  flows  into  the 
Congo,  near  Stanley  Pool,  thus  proving  a  practicable  route 
for  our  advance. 

The  original  plan  was  to  form  a  chain  of  stations  from 
Kangwe  to  the  Congo  basin,  if  it  were  found  practicable. 
A  second  station,  Talaguga,  ten  miles  up  the  river,  among 
the  Fang  tribe,  was  occupied  in  1882  by  Dr.  Nassau  and  Mrs. 
Mary  (Foster)  Nassau,  whose  lamented  death  in  1884  led  to 
the  transfer  of  Miss  I.  A.  Nassau  from  Kangwe  to  that 
station.  From  this  outpost,  itineration  by  boat  was  car- 
ried on  in  both  directions  with  many  tokens  of  divine 
blessing. 

In  1885  Rev.  A.  C.  Good  took  up  the  work  at  Kangwe 
and  through  his  itinerating  efforts  along  the  river  and 
around  the  lakes  connecting  with  the  Ogowe,  there  was  a 
precious  work  of  grace,  resulting  in  the  organization  of  two 
churches  in  1889,  one  at  Wambalia,  twenty  miles  below 
Kangwe,  and  the  other  at  Igenja,  fifty  miles  below.  Early 
in  1892,  a  third  church  was  formed  at  Longwe,  and  a  new 
out-station  was  also  established  at  Enyonga,  eighty  miles 
below  Kangwe,  among  the  Nkomi  people,  a  branch  of  the 
Mpongwe  tribe. 

A  church  was  also  organized  at  Olamba,  and  the  whole 
number  of  communicants  had  increased  to  over  300,  Dr. 
Good  revised  the  entire  New  Testament  in  Mpongwe,  and 
prepared  a  new  hymn-book. 

This  promising  advance  was  interrupted  by  the  interfer- 
ence of  the  French  government,  which  forbade  instruction 
in  the  vernacular,  and  laid  such  hampering  restrictions  on 
the  missionaries  that  the  Board  at  the  earnest  request  of  the 
Mission,  resolved  to  commit  the  work  in  that  region  as  soon 
as  possible  into  the  hands  of  French  Protestants,  and  with- 
draw by  degrees  from  French  territory.  In  accordance  with 
this  policy,  Talaguga  was  transferred  in  1892  and  Kangwe 
in  1893  }o  the  Socit-fi-  des  A  fissions  Evangeliq^ies  of  Paris. 
This  Society  finding  itself  unable  to  assume  further  respon- 
sibility in  this  direction,  the  Board  is  constrained  to  retain 
Baraka  and  Angom. 

(5)   The  Benito  district  was  occupied  in  Janu- 
Benito  ary,    1865,    at    Mbade,   at  the    mouth    of  the 

Benito  River,  no  miles  north  of  the  equator. 
The  dialect  is  the  Kombe,  but  the  Benga  is  understood. 

Prominent  names  in  the  work  here  are  Rev.  George  Paull, 


THE    MIS.SIONS    IN    AFRICA.  23 

Rev.  R.  H.  Nassau  and  Mrs.  Nassau,  Rev.  S.  H.  Murphy 
and  Mrs  Murph3^  Miss  Isabella  A.  Nassau,  and  Rev.  C 
DeHeer  and  Mrs.  De  Heer,  whose  lives  cover  the  twenty 
years  from  1865  to  1885.  Associated  with  them  are  the 
names  of  Reutlinger,  Kops,  Schorsch,  Menkel,  Gault  and 
Misses  Jones  and  Dewsnap.  Rev.  George  PauU,  the  founder 
of  Mbade  station,  was  a  man  of  noble  character,  with  a  rare 
combination  of  strength  and  amiability,  of  untiring  labor 
and  deep  spirituality.  His  zeal  consumed  him.  He  lived 
in  Africa  but  thirteen  months,  only  three  of  which  were 
spent  in  Benito.  His  work  was  carried  on  and  enlarged  by 
his  immediate  successors,  Rev.  Messrs.  Nassau  and  Murphy. 
Mrs.  Mary  C.  Nassau,  wdth  a  spirit  like  that  of  George 
Paull,  left  a  deep  impress  on  the  hearts  of  the  heathen,  and 
her  hymn-book  is  ever  on  the  lips  of  the  native  church. 
Mr.  Murphy's  energy  called  out  the  self-reliance  of  the 
native  Christians.  With  his  aid  they  broke  the  power  of 
Ukuku  Society,  a  most  oppressive  superstition,  that  held  no 
native  life  of  worth  against  its  arbitrary  orders,  and  that 
subjected  even  the  lives  of  foreigners  to  frequent  annoyance 
and  actual  danger.  In  1869  a  second  station  was  built  at 
Bolondo,  two  miles  from  Mbade,  in  the  mouth  of  the  river. 
In  that  year  also  Mr.  Reutlinger  made  an  attempt  to  pene- 
trate the  interior  by  wa}^  of  the  Benito  River,  and  had  partly 
overcome  the  opposition  of  the  coast  jealousy,  when  he 
died  from  an  attack  of  erysipelas. 

Rev.  J.  De  B.  Kops,  during  his  short  stay  in  1872,  made 
a  favorable  impression  as  a  thorough  teacher  and  trainer  of 
the  advanced  class  of  the  Bolondo  boys'  school.  After  his 
return  to  America  that  school-station,  and,  indeed,  much  of 
the  entire  Benito  work,  ecclesiastical,  educational  and  finan- 
cial, was  carried  on  for  several  years  by  Miss  I.  A.  Nassau, 
aided  successively  by  Mr.  Menkel,  Miss  Jones,  Miss  Dewsnap 
and  a  native  minister. 

Mr.  P.  Menkel,  the  captain  of  the  mission  vessel,  has 
also  made  himself  useful  as  a  mechanic  in  erecting  mission- 
houses  and  churches. 

The  church,  numbering  over  200  members,  with  a  large 
Sunday-school,  is  under  the  charge  of  a  native  pastor.  This 
church  has  sent  off  two  colonies,  and  there  are  ten  out- 
stations.  Mrs.  De  Heer,  Mrs.  Reutlinger  and  Mi.ss  Hulda 
Christensen  were  the  only  missionaries  permanently  stationed 
here  for  several  years  until  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Hick- 
man in  1895.     Mrs.  De  Heer  has  prepared  a  Benga-English 


24  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

and  English-Benga  dictiouary,  and  revised  and  translated 
other  books,  such  as  ' '  Presbyterian  Law, ' '  ' '  Bible  History, ' ' 
and  "Jessica's  First  Prayer." 

The  importance  of  Benito  as  a  station  lies  in  the  industry 
of  its  people  and  the  missionary  character  of  the  native 
church.  The  fervor  of  George  Paull  flows  on  in  the  life  of 
the  Benito  church  ;  its  members  carry  on  several  out-mission 
posts  in  their  own  district;  have  furnished  from  their  num- 
ber efficient  elders  for  the  Corisco  and  Gaboon  churches; 
volunteered  the  first  native  assistants  for  the  advance  up  the 
Ogowe,  and  from  this  church  came  most  of  the  licentiates 
of  our  presbytery. 

Batanga,  at  first  an  out  station  of  Benito,  was 
Batanga  made  a  regular  station  in   1889,  under  charge 

of  Rev.  B.  B.  Brier  and  Mrs.  Brier.  Mr  Brit 
died  in  1890  after  a  brief  but  self-denying  service  and  Mrs. 
Brier  returned  to  the  United  States.  Rev.  G.  A.  Godduhn 
and  Mrs.  Godduhn,  and  the  Rev.  John  McMillan,  M.D., 
and  Mrs.  McMillan,  reached  Africa  in  1890,  and  were 
assigned  to  Batanga.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  McMillan  severed  their 
connection  with  the  Mission  in  June  1892.  After  four  years 
of  patient  and  effective  service,  Mr.  Godduhn's  health 
having  failed,. he  and  his  devoted  wi^e  felt  constrained  to 
withdraw  from  the  field  and  return  to  the  United  States. 

When  it  was  found  that  there  was  no  hope  of  advancing 
inland  by  way  of  the  Ogowe,  and  that  the  work  on  the  river 
was  seriously  hampered,  as  intimated  above,  the  main  centre 
of  our  mission  operations  was  transferred  to  Batanga,  which 
lies  within  German  territory,  and  gives  better  access  to  the 
interior.  The  territory  of  the  Station  extends  from  the 
Campo  River,  the  German  boundary  on  the  south,  to  Little 
Batanga,  giving  a  coast  line  of  about  80  miles,  and  extend- 
ing indefinitely  into  the  interior. 

The  Rev.  W.  C.  Gault  and  Mrs.  Gault,  Mr.  E.  A.  Ford, 
Miss  I.  A.  Nassau,  Miss  Louise  Babe,  and  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
A.  C.  Good,  joined  the  station  in  1892,  Dr.  Good  intend- 
ing to  work  in  the  interior.  A  year  later,  Charles  J.  Laffin, 
M.  D.,  and  Mrs.  Laffin,  were  added,  and  in  1894  Rev. 
Herman  Schnatz,  Mr.  Oscar  Roberts  and  Mrs.  Roberts.  In 
1895  Miss  Ida  Engles,  under  engagement  of  marriage  to 
Mr.  Schnatz,  arrived,  and  became  Mrs.  Schnatz. 

There  is  a  constant  and  encouraging  growth  in  the 
church  at  Batanga,  and  the  truth  is  spreading  in  the  sur- 
rounding country.     Churches  have  been  formed  at  Ubenji, 


THK    MIS.SIOXS    IX    AFRICA.  25 

Kribi,  Evume,  Mjaime,  and  Laka.  Along  the  coast  several 
tribes  have  built  "prayer-houses"  of  their  own  accord, 
especially  the  Mabeya,  and  are  waiting  for  Christian  teachers, 
whom  they  promise  to  support. 

There  is  a  boarding-school  for  boys  and  another  for  girls, 
at  Batanga.  with  eight  day-schools  in  the  different  towns. 
It  was  hoped  to  escape  the  difficulty  as  to  language  under 
German  rule,  but  it  has  re-appeared  in  another  though  much 
less  exacting  form.  The  German  government  does  not 
forbid  the  teaching  of  the  vernacular,  but  requires  German 
in  addition  at  the  coast,  which  makes  it  necessary  for  the 
teachers  to  understand  that  tongue.  Many  native  dialects 
are  spoken  in  the  neighborhood,  and  much  trouble  has 
arisen  with  some  of  the  tribes,  who  object  to  having  their 
eiiildren  taught  in  the  Benga,  the  language  of  themajority. 
So  strong  is  this  prejudice,  that  at  one  time  the  schools 
w^ere  almost  deserted. 

The  Training  Class  for  African  preachers  is  under  the 
charge  of  Miss  Isabella  A.  Nassau,  whose  long  experience 
in  Africa  gives  her  especial  fitness  for  this  most  import- 
ant work. 

Medical  work  has  been  done  to  some  extent  and  with 
good  results.  The  natives  built  a  small  hospital,  and  a  dis- 
pensary has  since  been  added. 

The  death  of  Mrs.  Laffin  in  November,  1894,  after  a 
brief  but  effective  service,  and  the  return  of  Dr.  Laffin  to 
the  United  States  because  of  serious  illness,  threw  upon 
Mrs.  Roberts,  happily  a  regularly  trained  physician,  the 
entire  burden  of  the  medical  work.  Although  somewhat 
enfeebled  by  the  climate,  she  stood  bravely  at  her  post  until 
she  too  fell  a  victim  to  the  fatal  African  fever  in  May,  1896, 
leaving  behind  her  the  memory  of  work  well  and  lovingly 
done  for  the  Master.  The  station  remained  without  a  physi- 
cian till  November  of  the  same  year  when  N.  H.  D.  Cox, 
M.  D.,  and  Mrs.  Cox  joined  the  mission. 

By    authority    of    the    Board    and    with    the 
Efulen  approval    of    the   Mission,   Dr.   A.    C.    Good, 

accompanied  by  native  carriers  only,  made 
several  tours  of  exploration  into  the  interior,  beginning 
July,  1892,  with  a  view  to  opening  mission  work  back  from 
the  coast.  He  penetrated  the  interior  to  a  point  about  150 
miles  from  Batanga,  passing  entirely  through  the  forest 
belt.  He  selected  as  a  site  for  the  first  station  a  hill  near 
Nkonemekak,  about  i.Soo  feet  above  sea  level,  and  called 
(3) 


26  HISTOKICAL   SKETCH    OF 

by  the  natives  Efulen,  ("a  mingling")-  This  site  being 
subsequently  visited  by  a  committee  of  the  Mission,  was  on 
recommendation  approved  by  the  Board.  In  1893  Dr. 
Good,  the  Rev.  R.  H.  Milligan  and  Mr.  M.  Henry  Kerr 
were  assigned  to  the  work  of  establishing  a  station  at  this 
point,  the  two  latter  having  joined  the  Mission  a  few  months 
before.  A  little  later  Silas  F.  Johnson,  M.  D.,  and  Mrs. 
Johnson  and  Rev.  Melvin  Fraser  were  assigned  to  the 
Station.  Mr.  Kerr,  who  is  a  mechanic,  with  the  help  of 
native  workmen  whom  he  trained  for  the  purpose,  soon 
built  a  temporary  house,  and  later  a  more  permanent  one, 
together  with  the  necessary  furniture  ;  and  subsequently  a 
school-house  and  dormitory  for  boys.  In  addition  to  the 
study  of  the  language,  and  looking  after  the  material  inter- 
ests of  the  Station,  a  good  deal  of  itinerating  work  was 
done  by  the  missionaries  in  the  surrounding  towns  In  the 
intervals  between  his  tours  of  exploration,  Dr.  Good  reduced 
the  Bulu  language  to  writing,  and  prepared  a  Primer,  and 
subsequently  translated  the  four  Gospels,  all  of  which,  with 
the  aid  respectively  of  the  American  Tract  Society  and  the 
American  Bible  Society,  have  been  printed  and  sent  to  the 
field.  The  Gospels  were  eagerly  welcomed  by  the  people, 
and  in  three  weeks,  twenty-eight  copies  were  sold. 

After  completing  this  work.  Dr.  Good  in  accordance  with 
the  plan  approved  by  the  Mission  and  the  Board,  made  an 
exploring  tour  to  the  east  and  southeast  of  Efulen,  covering 
some  400  miles.  Being  disappointed  about  carriers,  he 
returned  in  advance  of  the  time  he  had  fixed,  quite  out  of 
health,  and  was  immediately  seized  with  African  fever  to 
which  he  fell  a  victim  December  13.  1894.  He  was  greatly 
beloved  and  his  death  was  sincerely  mourned  not  only  by 
the  Mi.ssion  but  by  the  Church  at  large.  History  will  accord 
him  a  prominent  place  in  the  ranks  of  the  missionary  explorers 
of  the  Dark  Continent. 

During  his  last  journey  Dr.  Good  had  selected 
Elatte  Ebolewo'e  as  a  site    for  the   second  station, 

which  was  subsequently  approved  by  the 
Mission  and  the  Board,  and  was  occupied  in  1895  by  Mr.  M. 
Henry  Kerr,  Rev.  Melvin  Fraser  and  the  Rev.  C.  W. 
McCleary,  the  last  named  having  joined  the  Mission  that 
year.  The  Rev.  W.  C.  Johnston  and  Mrs.  Johnston  having 
also  arrived  in  1895,  were  assigned  to  Efulen  in  place  of  Mr. 
Kerr  and  Mr.  Fraser.  The  name  Elatte  has  been  given  to 
the    Mission  settlement,   which  is  about  75   miles  east  of 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  27 

Efulen .  Both  a  temporary  and  more  permanent  house  have 
alread}'  been  built,  together  with  a  slight  structure  for  a 
school-house,  and  evangelistic  and  educational  work  are 
fairly  begun.  More  recent  exploration  of  the  country  makes 
it  probable  that  Klatte  can  be  reached  from  Batanga  by  a  more 
direct  route  than  that  via  Efulen. 

During  one  of  Dr.  Good's  journeys  of  explora- 
The  Dwarfs      tion,  he  came  upon  a  village  of  Dwarfs.     A 

detailed  statement  of  his  experience  is  given  in 
a  letter  which  will  be  found  in  The  Church  at  Home  and 
Abroad  oil-xwxi^ccy ,  1894. 

"  His  letter  fell  under  tha  eye  of  a  noble  Christian  lady  in  Scot- 
land whose  heart  had  been  deeply  touched  by  Mr.  Stanley's  reference 
to  the  Dwarfs  in  his  book,  "  Through  Darkest  Africa."  After  corres- 
pondence with  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  she  agreed  to  furnish 
funds  with  which  to  begin  and  sustain  mission  work  among  the 
Dwarfs,  provided  the  Board  would  undertake  it.  On  the  basis  of  her 
liberal  offer,  the  Rev.  Smith  Gardner  Dunning  was  appointed  to  the 
Gaboon  and  Corisco  Mission  for  the  purpose  of  entering  upon  this 
work,  and  the  Board  expects  to  appoint  another  missionary  on  the 
same  basis  when  he  can  be  found.  Meanwhile,  Mr.  Roberts  and  Mr. 
Hickman  of  our  Mission,  have  made  further  explorations  and  dis- 
covered quite  a  number  of  Dwarfs  hanging  on  the  outskirts  of  the 
Mabeya  tribe.  It  is  feared  that  because  of  the  migratory  habits  of 
these  people,  it  may  be  found  difficult  to  do  permanent  work  among 
them,  but  the  present  purpose  is  to  reach  them  as  far  as  possible  in 
their  own  towns,  and  endeavor  to  bring  some  of  the  most  promising 
youth  to  the  coast  for  instruction  in  Bible  truth,  and  in  the  rudiments 
of  education." 

_  Besides  the  schools  and  churches  enumerated, 

ments  great  encouragement  is  found  in  the  following 

facts: — 

(i)  There  is  earnest  desire  for  education  on  the  part  of 
many  of  the  natives. 

{2)  Increase  of  interest  in  civilization  is  shown  by  the 
natives  through  the  entire  mission  field. 

(3)  There  is  an  open  door  to  the  interior. 

(4)  Freedom  for  woman's  work  is  absolute,  there  being 
nothing  in  the  native  ideas  or  customs  to  prevent  a  woman 
doing  all  that  her  time,  capability  and  strength  may  suggest 
in  either  village  itineration,  teaching  of  girls  and  women, 
or  higher  education  of  men. 

(5)  The  rapid  increase  of  native  licentiates  and  candi- 
dates for  the  ministry,  promises  a  supply  of  native  pastors. 

(6)  A  disposition  to  self-support  is  growing. 

(7)  There  is  a  general  increase  of  respect  for  law — a 
notable  instance  of  which  is  an  attempt  of  the  Benito  people 


28  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

to  remedy  the  evils  of  the  prevalent  anarchy  by  setting  up  a 
government  modeled  on  a  limited  monarchy,  which,  though 
imperfect,  showed  that  the  gospel  had  made  possible  an 
effort  toward  civilization. 

(8)  The  interest,  dating  from  the  travels  of  Livingstone 
and  Stanley,  with  which  the  eyes  of  all  the  world  are  turned 
to  Africa. 

In  connection  with  these  recent  discoveries,  the  Congo 
Free  State,  embracing  about  25,000,000  inhabitants,  has 
been  secured  to  civilization  and  mission  effort  by  the  protec- 
tion of  the  great  powers  of  Europe.  All  these  events  cannot 
fail  to  have  an  important  bearing  on  missionary  labor  in  this 
land. 

In  regard  to  the  objection  often  made  against 
Climate  an  missions  in  Africa,  that  it  is  the  "  white  man's 
Uealtn  , ,  • ,  •    • 

grave,     it  is  just  to  say  : — 

(i)  In  so  large  a  country  as  Africa,  what  might  be  true 
of  one  part  would  not  necessarily  be  true  of  another,  part. 
Statements  are  made  as  incorrectly  on  the  point  of  health  as 
they  are  on  the  point  of  heat.  The  average  of  heat  during 
the  year  in  the  Gaboon  and  Corisco  mission  is  80°  Fahren- 
heit, and  it  never  reaches  above  98°  in  the  shade.  With 
the  exception  of  the  months  of  February  and  March,  the 
nights  are  comfortably  cool ;  and  in  June,  July  and  August 
blankets  are  required.  The  experience  thus  far  in  the 
interior  seems  to  promise  better  conditions  of  health  than  on 
the  coast. 

(2)  It  is  true,  that  there  nas  been  great  loss  of  the  life 
of  white  men  on  the  west  coast  of  Africa.  This  has  been 
mainly  of  sailors  and  those  engaged  in  commerce,  many  of 
whom  live  lives  whose  character,  moral  or  hygienic,  gives 
reason  other  than  the  climate  for  their  deaths.  And  the 
fact  of  those  unexplained  deaths  has  operated  unjustly 
against  the  country's  reputation. 

(3)  Certain  parts,  e.g..  Sierra  Leone  and  also  the  Upper 
Guinea  coast,  have  been  severe  on  even  missionary  life. 

(4)  As  the  equator  is  approached,  and  also  south  of  the 
equator,  health  improves.  The  mortality  in  the  Gaboon 
and  Corisco  mission  has,  therefore,  been  less  than  at  Liberia 
and  other  points  north. 

(5)  The  numerous  returns  of  workers  from  the  Gaboon 
and  Corisco  mission  have  not  all  been  due  to  ill -health. 
Unfitness  for  the  work,  and  difficulty  about  the  care  of 
children  have  been  frequent  causes. 


Tin-:  MISSIONS  in  Africa.  29 

(6)  Mental  depression,  due  to  the  painful  isolation  of 
African  mission  stations,  has  made  a  physical  condition  in 
which  fever-seeds,  not  otherwise  dangerous,  became  fatal. 
Some  of  the  earlier  deaths  were  induced  by  intense  home- 
sickness. 

(7)  All  these  causes  operate  less  now  than  formerly. 
People  know  better  how  to  take  care  of  health.  Profit  is 
made  by  the  experience  of  others.  Food  supplies  are  better. 
Household  arrangements  are  more  healthful.  Frequent 
mail  communications  and  the  fresh,  earnest  support  and 
practical  sympathy,  especially  of  the  Women's  Foreign  Mis- 
sionarj'  Societies,  have  bridged  over  the  long  distance 
between  Africa  and  home-love,  and  made  less  painful  and 
depressing  the  isolation  which  is  distinctive  of  an  African 
missionary's  life. 

STATISTICS    1897. 

Missionaries 30 

Native  workers 50 

Churches 8 

Coniniunicants 1 267 

Pupils  in  schools 693 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools 1323 


Liberia  Mission. 


-        .  The  mission  supported  in  part  by  the  Presby- 

and  Historv  terian  Board,  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery 
of  Western  Africa,  lies  in  the  republic  of  Liberia, 
whose  limits  are  7°  25'  N.  lat.  down  to  4°  44'  N.  lat., 
including  a  little  over  five  hundred  miles  of  sea-coast,  with 
an  average  width  in  the  interior  of  fifty  miles.  This  interior 
extension  may  be  increased,  the  territory  of  native  princes 
which  has  been  ceded  to  the  republic  not  having  very  definite 
eastern  limits. 

The  first  settlement  on  that  coast  was  on  January  7,  1821 , 
by  eighty-nine  free  blacks  who  sailed  from  New  York  in 
1820.  In  April,  1822,  a  colony  of  manumitted  slaves  from 
the  United  States  was  planted  by  the  American  Colonization 
Society ,  which  for  twenty-five  years  retained  the  supervision 
of  them,  under  Governors  Ashmun,  Pinney  and  others,  until 


30  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  establishment  of  the  republic,  with  its  capital  at  Monrovia, 
on  July  26,  1847.  Various  missionary  boards,  representing 
all  the  evangelical  Christian  churches,  followed  with  their 
agents  those  who  had  gone  out  as  colonists. 

The  Government  is  modeled  on  that  of  the  United  States, 
having  a  President  with  his  Cabinet,  a  Senate  and  a  House  of 
Representatives.  Only  negroes  are  allowed  to  hold  office. 
There  is  no  established  church,  and  all  faiths  are  equally 
tolerated.  In  1896  the  population  comprised  about  20,000 
civilized  negroes,  chiefly  of  American  origin,  and  1,050,000 
half-wild  natives,  who  are  gradually  coming  under  the  in- 
fluence of  civilization.  The  most  interesting  tribes  are  the 
Veys,  Bassos,  Kroos  and  Mandingoes. 

The  Government  has  formed  treaties  wath  most  of  the 
European  countries,  with  Hayti  and  the  United  States.  But 
it  suffers  for  the  lack  of  honest  and  intelligent  officers  to 
carry  it  on.  Much  charity  may  be  allowed  Liberia  in  the 
experiment  it  is  making.  Very  few  of  the  colonists  at  first 
had  any  experience  in  national  affairs  or  political  life.  Most 
of  them  had  been  reared  in  servitude  and  dependence,  and 
the  new  arrivals  of  manumitted  slaves,  sent  from  time  to 
time,  brought  with  rare  exceptions  only  poverty  and  ignor- 
ance. This  is  part  of  the  burden  the  government  carries 
to-day.  Many  of  the  colonists,  instead  of  being  "mission- 
aries" to  the  heathen,  became  degraded  themselves,  adopt- 
ing all  the  vices  and  even  the  superstitions  of  heathenism. 
The  admirable  capabilities,  agricultural  and  commercial,  of 
the  country  have  been  developed  almost  solely  by  foreign 
capital  and  energy. 

„.    .  ,    The  first  mission  work  in  Liberia  was  done  by 

Missionaries  ^°^  ^^t^Y^  a  slave  who,  having  bought  his  free- 
dom, was  sent  thither  by  Baptist  aid  in  1821, 
and  labored  until  his  death,  in  1828.  In  answer  to  an  appeal 
by  Governor  Ashmun  in  1825,  there  came  Swiss  mission- 
aries from  Basle,  who  finally  were  transferred  to  Sierra 
Leone. 

The  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions  in  1834  sent  Rev.  J.  L.  Wilson,  who  settled  at 
Cape  Palmas.  Thither  followed  him  Rev.  Messrs.  White, 
Walker,  Griswold  and  Alexander  Wilson  and  their  wives. 
At  first  there  was  success  ;  but  after  some  reverses  the  mis- 
sion was,  seven  years  later,  removed  to  Gaboon. 

The  Presb3^terian  mission  was  commenced  in  February, 
1833,  at  Monrovia,  by  Rev.  J.  B.   Pinney,  the  more  special 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  3 1 

object  being  work  among  the  aborigines,  and  only  incident- 
ally for  the  colonists.  Stations  were  extended  to  the  Kroo 
coast,  near  Cape  Palnias.  Messrs.  Laird,  Cloud,  Finley, 
Canfield,  Ahvard  and  Sawyer  lived  very  short  lives  in  the 
hostile  climate.  The  Board  then,  in  1842,  tried  the  experi- 
ment of  sending  only  colored  ministers,  among  whom  were 
Rev.  Messrs.  Eden,  Priest  and  Wilson  ;  and  Settra  Kroo, 
Sinoe  (Greenville)  and  Monrovia  were  occupied.  The  place 
made  vacant  by  Mr.  Eden's  death  was,  in  1847,  occupied  by 
Rev  H.  W.  Ellis,  a  freed  slave  from  Alabama.  The  Presby- 
tery of  Western  Africa  was  constituted  in  1848,  and  attached 
to  the  Synod  of  Philadelphia.  But  it  was  found  that  Amer- 
ican negroes  were  not  exempt  from  fever,  and,  by  their  slave 
origin,  lacked  skill  for  the  conduct  of  affairs  ;  therefore 
other  white  men  were  sent  out,  notable  among  them  Rev. 
D.  A.  Wilson,  who  did  effective  educational  work  at  the 
Alexander  High  School,  established  at  Monrovia  in  1849. 
Mr.  B.  V.  R.  James,  a  colored  man,  also  carried  on  a  very 
successful  school,  his  integrity  and  ability  making  him 
remarkably  useful . 

After  many  discouragements,  there  came  a  yearof  bless- 
ing in  1857.  Rev.  Messrs.  Amos  and  Miller,  colored  men, 
were  sent  in  1859  from  the  Ashmun  Institute  (now  Lincoln 
University),  and  Rev.  E.  W.  Blyden,  a  graduate  of  Alex- 
ander High  School,  being  added  to  the  force,  two  new 
stations  were  opened.  Mr.  Amos  died  in  1864,  and  Mr. 
Miller  in  1865.  Rev.  Edward  Boeklen,  of  Germany,  sent  - 
to  take  charge  of  the  High  School  in  1866,  died  in  1868. 
The  climate  was  exceptionally  trying  to  white  missionaries, 
and  scarcely  less  so  to  the  colonist  negroes,  whose  birth  and 
hereditary  constitution  in  America  gave  them  an  unexpected 
susceptibility  to  fever. 

Liberia's  entire  political  power  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
colonists.  The  appointment  of  white  missionaries  by  our 
Boards  to  superintend  the  financial  affairs  of  the  several 
missions  was  looked  upon  with  suspicion,  and  bred  animos- 
ity on  the  part  of  some  of  the  Liberians.  This  feeling  did 
not  exist  toward  colored  ministers  from  this  country,  and  it 
was  thought,  therefore,  that  they  were  the  proper  persons  to 
be  sent  to  that  part  of  Africa.  The  success  of  this  policy 
is  still  to  be  demonstrated. 

The  Presbyterian  community  in  Liberia  is  small,  number- 
ing probably  not  over  one  thousand.  The  Methodists  and 
Baptists  have  strong  stations  and  schools  in  the  north,  and 


32  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  is  working  in  the  south, 
with  headquarters  at  Cape  Palmas.  The  Lutherans  are 
stationed  at  Muhlenberg,  a  little  inland,  where  they  have  an 
excellent  school. 

There  are  few  common  schools  in  the  Liberian  republic 
under  government  care.  Almost  all  the  schools  are  sup- 
ported by  foreign  missionary  funds.  There  is  a  college  at 
Monrovia,  supported  by  American  non-missionary  aid,  for  a 
short  time  under  the  presidency  of  Rev.  E-  W.  Blyden, 
Lly.D.,  but  its  status  is  only  that  of  an  academy.  The 
teachers  of  the  foreign  missionary  schools  have  thus  far 
supplied  all  the  education  that  the  ordinary  demands  of  the 
country  seemed  to  require,  and  the  few^  who  have  wished 
higher  education  have  obtained  it  by  going  to  America  for 
that  purpose.  This  is  not  found  by  experience,  however,  to 
be  the  best  way,  and  it  is  hoped  that  in  time  these  advantages 
may  be  offered  to  all  who  desire  them  in  their  own  land. 

For  years  past  the  policy  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
has  been  gradually  to  throw  the  responsibility  of  the  work 
in  Liberia  on  the  Presbytery  of  West  Africa.  With  a  fair 
measure  of  consecration  and  energy  on  the  part  of  pastors 
and  people  there  seems  to  be  no  reason  why  the  churches 
under  its  care  should  not  speedily  become  self-supporting. 
It  is  the  constant  aim  of  the  Board  to  bring  them  to  the  point 
of  providing  not  only  for  their  own  pastors,  but  for  mission- 
ary work  among  the  native  tribes. 

The  Presbytery  reported  in  1897  twelve  churches,  with 
384  members,  and  nine  ministers,  six  of  whom  are  supported 
by  the  people.  There  are  six  schools  under  the  care  of  the 
mission,  two  of  which  maintain  themselves;  173  pupils  are 
reported.  The  Alexander  High  School  at  Clay-Ashland 
takes  the  lead  in  educational  work ;  the  others  are  mixed 
boarding  and  day-schools. 

The  great  need  of  Liberia  now  seems  to  be  that 
The  Need  of  educated,  consecrated  ministers  and  teachers 

from  among  the  aborigines,  with  a  sufficient 
number  of  well-qualified  missionaries  to  guide  and  control 
their  work  until  those  shall  arise  from  their  own  people  who 
shall  be  equal  to  the  task. 


TIIK    IVIISSIONS    IN    AFRICA.  33 

STATIONS  1897. 

GABOON    AND    CORISCO    MISSIONS. 

Baraka,  on  the  Gaboon  River,  near  the  equator,  10  miles  from 
the  sea;  occupied  as  a  station,  1842;  transferred  from  American 
Board,  1S70 ;  laborers— Rev.  Robert  H.  Nassau,  D.D.,  M.D.,  Mr.  E. 
A.  Ford,  Mrs.  T  S.  Ogden  ;  outstation,  Corisco  on  Corisco  Island  ;  i 
native  preacher,  i  licentiate,  and  8  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Angom,  above  Nengenenge,  on  the  Como  River  ;  occupied  as  a 
station,  188 1  ;  laborers — Rev.  W.  S.  Bannerman  and  Mrs.  Bannerman, 
Mrs.  Arthur  W.  Marling,  Rev.  Smith  G.  Dunning  ;  4  native  teachers 
and  helpers. 

Benito,  92  miles  north  of  Gaboon  ;  occupied  as  a  station,  1864  ; 
laborers— Mrs.  Louise  Reutlinger,  Mrs.  C  De  Heer,  Miss  Hulda 
Christensen,  French  teacher.  Mens.  Emmanuel  Presset,  Rev.  Frank 
I\lyo)igo,  and  Rev.  Eliyani  Nyenye ;  10  outstations,  i  licentiate,  i 
Bible- woman,  and  14  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

B.aTang.\,  170  miles  north  of  Gaboon  ;  occupied  as  a  station,  1885  ; 
laborers— Rev.  VV.  C.  Gaultand  Mrs.  Gault,  Mr.  Oscar  Roberts,  Rev.  F. 
D.  P.  Hickman,  H.  E.  Schnatz  and  Mrs.  Schnatz,  Newman  H.  D.  Cox, 
M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Cox,  Miss  Isabella  A.  Nassau,  Miss  Louise  A.  Babe, 
and  Capt  Peter  Menkel,  Rev.  liongolo  ja  Iviiia ;  3  outstations,  i 
licentiate,  16  native  teachers  and  helpers 

Efulen,  about  70  miles  southeast  of  Batanga  behind  the  coast 
belt ;  occupied,  1893  ;  laborers — Dr.  Silas  F.  Johnson  and  Mrs.  John- 
son, and  Rev.  W.  C.  Johnston  and  Mrs.  Johnston. 

EtrATTK,  about  75  miles  east  of  Efulen;  Rev.  Melvin  Eraser,  Rev. 
C.  W.  McCleary,  Mr.  M.  H.  Kerr,  and  Albert  L.  Bennett,  M.D. 

LIBERIA    MISSION. 

Careysburg,  Rev.  R.  A.  M.  Deputie. 
DoH,  Rev.  George  B   Peabody. 
Granger,  Mrs.  S.  E.  Nurse. 


Missionaries  In  Western  Africa,  i 833-1 897. 

•^Died.     tColored.     JTransferred   from    the   American    Board.     Figures,   Terra    of 
Service  in  the  Field. 

Gaboon  and  Corisco. 

Babe,  Miss  Louisa,         1892  Brier,  Mrs  ,  1889-1890 

Bacheler,    H.    M.  *tBushnell,  Rev.  Albert,  1844-1879 

(M.  D.), 

Bacheler,  Mrs. 

Bannerman,  Rev.  W. 
S., 

Bannerman,  Mrs., 

Bennett,  A.  L.,  M   D.,  1897 
*Boughton,  Miss  S.  J., 
*Brier,  Rev.  B.  B., 


I879-I883 

tBushnell,  Mrs., 

I 85 2- I 885 

I 879- I 883 

Campbell,  Rev.  G.  C, 

1S80-1887 

Campbell,  Mrs., 

1880-1887 

1890 

Christensen,    Miss 

1890 

Hulda, 

1891 

1897 

Clark,   Rev.  W.   H., 

1861-1869 

I87I-I873 

Clark,  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 

I 889- I 890 

M.  Jackson,  1858-), 

1861-1869 

34 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


*Clemeus,  Rev     Wui., 
*Clemeus,  Mrs., 

Cox,  N.  H.,  M.  D., 

Cox,  Mrs., 
*De  Heer,  Rev.  Corne- 
lius, 
*De  Heer,  Mrs., 

De  Heer,  Mrs., 
*Dewsnap,  Miss.  S., 

Dunning,  Rev.  S.  G., 

Fraser,   Rev.    Melvin, 

Ford,  Mr.  E.  A., 

Gault,  Rev.  W  C  , 

Gault,  Mrs.. 

Gillespie,  Rev.  S.  L-, 

Gillespie,  Mrs.   (Miss 
M.  B.  White), 

Godduhn,  Rev    G.  A., 

Godduhn,  Mrs  , 
*Good,  Rev.  A.  C, 

Good   Mrs.  (Miss  h.  B. 

Walker,  1877-), 
tHaiding,  Miss  M.  L-, 

Hendricks,  Mrs.  S.  E. 

Hickman,  Rev.  Frank 
D., 
*Jacot,  Rev.  H.  L  , 

Jacot,  Mrs.,. 

Johnson,  Silas  F. ,  M. 
D., 

Johnson,  Mrs., 

Johnston,  Rev.  E.  W., 

Johnston.  Mrs., 

Jones,  Miss  Lydia 

Kaufman,  Miss  C  , 

Kerr,  Mr.  M.  H., 

Kops,  Rev.  J.C.  deB  , 

Kops,  Mrs., 

Laffin.Chas.  J.,M.  D., 
*Laffin,  Mrs., 

Loomis,  C.  L.  (M.  D.), 
*L,oomis,  Mrs., 
*Mackey,  Rev.  Jas.  L  , 
*Mackey,  Mrs., 

Mackey,  Mrs    Isabel. 

McCleary,  Rev   C.  W., 

McMillan,  Rev.  J., 
(M.  D.), 


853- 
S53- 
896 
896 

855- 
855- 
864 

875- 
896 
894 
891 
881 
881 
871 

873- 
890- 
890- 
882- 

883- 
882- 
873- 

895 
S90- 
890- 

894 

894 

895 

895 

872- 

855- 

893 

871- 

871- 

893- 

393- 

859- 

859- 

849- 

849- 

85'- 

S95 


1862 
1866 


1857 


-1874 

1874 
1894 
1894 
1894 

1895 
1889 
1874 


[892 
[892 


1858 

1873 
1873 
1895 
1894 
1861 
1861 
1867 
1850 
1867 


McMillan,  Mrs.,  1890-1893 

*McQueen,  Rev.  Geo.,  1852-1859 

McQueen,  Mrs.,  1 854-1865 

*Marling,  Rev.  A.  W.,   1880-1896 

Marling,  Mrs    (Miss  J. 

B.  Cameron,  1879-),  1881 
Menaul,  Rev.  John,       1868-1870 

*Menaul,  Mrs.,  1868-1870 

Menkel,  P.,  1873 

*Menkel,  Mrs.,  1874-1882 

*Menkel,  Mrs.,  1890-1894 

Milligan,  Rev.  R.  H.,  1893-1895 

Murphy,    Rev.    S.    H., 

1871-74;   1877-80 

Murphy,  Mrs.,  1871-1874 

Nassau,  Rev.  R.  H.,  D. 
D.  (M.  D.),  1861 

*Nassau,  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 

C.  Latta,  i860-),         1862-1870 
*Nassau,  Mrs.  Mary  P.,  1881-1884 

Nassau,  Miss  Isabella 
A.,  1868 

*Ogden,  Rev.  Thos.  S.,  1858-1861 
Ogden,  Mrs.,        1858-1861;   1882 
*Paull,  Rev.  George,       1863-1865 
Reading,    Mr.   J.    H., 

1875-77;  J880-1888 
Reading,Mrs  ,1875-77;  1880-1886 
1866-1869 


1890- 1 893 


*Reutlinger,  Rev.   S. 

Reutlinger,  Mrs. 

Louise,  1866 

Roberts,  Oscar,  1894 

*Roberts,   Mrs.   M.D.,     1894-1896 

Robinson,  Rev.  W.  H.,  1881-1886 

Robinson,  Mrs.,  1884-1886 

Schnatz,  Rev.  H.  E.,     1894 

Schnatz,    Mrs.    (Miss 
Engels).  1895 

Schorsch,  Rev.  W.,        1873-1876 

*Simpson,  G.  W  ,  1849-185 1 

*.Simpson,  Mrs.  1849-1851 

*Smith,  Mrs.  J.  M.  (Miss 

J.    M.     Lush,    1873- 

1876),  1876-1881 

Taylor,  G.  W.  (M.  D.),  1873-1874 
+  *Walker,  Rev.  W.,         1879-1884 

Williams,  Rev.  E-  T.,  1853-1854 

Williams,  Mrs.,  1853-1855 


*Alward,    Rev.     Jon- 
athan P., 
Alward,  Mrs., 
*Amos,  Rev. Thomas 

H.,t 


Liberia. 

*Amos,  Rev. James  R., 11859-1864 
1839-1841       *Barr,  Rev.  Joseph,  1832-1832 

1839-1841         Blaine,  W.  H.,  t  1891 

Blyden,   Rev.   E.  W.,  t 
1859-1869  1857-1861  ;  1873-1878 


THE    IvriSSIONS    IN    AFRICA. 


35 


Blvden,  Mrs.  t  1873-187S 

•Boeklen,  Rev.  E<l\vard,iS66-iSi8 
Hrowu,  Mr.  H.  D.,  1882-1885 

*Canfield,  Rev.Orcii  K  .  1S39-1842 
Canfield,  Mrs.,  1840-1842 

•Cloud,  Rev  Joliu,  '^33-1833 

Coke,  Miss  Louisa,  I  1847-1848 
Connelly.  Rev.  J.  M.,    1844-1849 

*Cranshaw,  Mrs.  J.  D.  ,11888-1891 

*I)eputie,  Rev.  J.  M.,  t  1869-1877 
Deputie,  Mrs.,t  1869-1877 

Deputie,  J.  M  ,  Jr.,t  1888- 1895 
Deputie,  Rev.  R.  A. 

M.,t  1870 

Diggs,  Mrs.  E.  A.,t        1878-1881 

■Dillon,  Rev.  T.  E  ,t  1^65-1879 
Dillon,  Mrs., t  1865-1879 

*Douuell,  Rev.  D.  L.,|  i87'8-i879 
Douuell,  Mrs.,  (Mrs 

David), t  1SS0-1881 

*Eden,  Rev.  James,  t  1843-1847 
Ellis,  Rev.  H.  W.,  t      1846-185 1 

^Erskine,  Rev.  H.  W.. 11848-1876 
Ethrige,  Mrs.  R.  A  ,  f  1882-1887 

*Ferguson,  Mr.  D   C  ,t  1S63-1873 

*Finley,  Mr.  F.  J.  C.,f  1834-1835 
Flournoy,  P.  F  ,11871  1876;  1882 
Frazier,  Rev.  D.  W  ,  f  1883-1896 
George,  S.J. ,t  1891-1895 

*Harrison,  Rev.  Simon, 11854-1872 
Harrison,  Mrs.,  f  1854-1872 

*Hcrring,  Rev.  Amos,t  1854-1873 
Herring,  Mrs.,  f  1854-1873 

Herndon,  Mr.  Jas.  P.,f  1888-1891 
Hilton,  Rev.  J. W.  N.. 11889-1894 

*F^erring,  Rev.  Amos,t  1854-1873 
Herring,  Mrs.,  I  1854-1873 

*Janies,  Mr.  V.  B.  R.,t  1849-1868 
Jones,  Mrs.  M.,t  1880-1885 

Jones,  J.  E.,t  1891-1S95 

Kennedy,  Rev.  Z.  R., 11878-1882 
Kennedy,  Mrs.,  t  1878-1882 


King,  Mr.  A.  B.,i  1870   1895 

King,  Mrs.  H.,  I  1870-189S 

King,  Robert  D.,t         1891-1892 

*^Laird,  Rev.  M.,  j  1833- 1834 

Laird,  Mrs.,  1833- 1834 

*McDonogh,  Mr.  W.,  t  1842-1871 

^Melville,  Mr.  F.  A.,t    1856-1868 

^Miller,  Rev.  Armi- 

stead,  t  1859-1865 

Nurse,  Mrs.  vS.  E.  (Mrs. 

Waters,  1876-),!        18— 
Parsons,    Mrs.    Mary 

E.,t  '     i855-i85« 

Payne,  Mrs.  G   C.,t      1893 
Peabody,  Rev.  G.  B,  t  1895 


*Perry,  Rev.  Frank  B 
*Perry,  Mrs., 
Pinney,    Rev.    J.    B., 
1832-35 : 
*Priest,   Rev.  James 

M.,t 
*Priest,  Mrs.,  t 
*Priest,  Mr.  J.  R.,t 

Priest,  Mrs.,  t 
^Roberts,  Rev.  Thos. 
H.,t 


1887-1895 
I 887- I 888 

1839-1S40 

I 843- I 883 
1843-1880 
1879-1880 
I 879- I 882 

I 888 -I 889 


*Sawyer,Rev.  Robt.W.,  1840- 1843 
Sawyer,  Mrs..  1841-1849 

Sevier.  Rev.  S.  S.,  t      1884-18S7 

*Strobel,  Miss  C,  t  1850-1864 
Temple,  Mr.  James,  t  1833-1834 
Tytler,  Mr.  Ephraim,t  1837-1839 
Van  Tyne,  Miss  C  ,  1841-1844 
White,  Mr.  J.,  1855-1856 

White,  Mrs.,  1855-1856 

Williams,  Rev.  E.  T.,  1856-1860 
Wilson,  Rev.  David  A.,1850-1858 
Wilson,  Mrs.,  1850-1858 

*Wilson,  Rev. Thomas, 11843-1846 
Witherspoon,  Mr.  M. 

M.,t  1862-1863 


Books  of  Reference. 

Abbeokuta  :  Origin  and  Progress  of  the  Yoruba  Mission.  Miss 
C.  Tucker.     35.     (id. 

Alexander  Mackay  of  Uganda.     By  his  Sister.     $1.50 

Adventures  in  the  Great  Forest  of  Equatorial  Africa.  Paul  du 
Chaillu.     $1.75 

Children  of  the  Kalahari.     I1.15. 

Crowned  in  Palm  Land.     R.  H.  Nassau.     $1.75. 

Eastern  Africa  as  a  Field  for  Missionary  Labor.  Sir  Bartle  Frere. 
5^- 


36       HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  MISSIONS  IN  AFRICA. 

Egypt's  Princes.       A  Narrative  of  Missionary  Labor      $1.75. 

Expedition  to  the  Zambesi.     D.     Livingstone.     $5.00. 

First  Christian  Mission  on  the  Congo.     H.  Grattan  Guinness. 

Five  Years  with  the  Congo  Cannibals.     Herbert  Ward.     $2.25 

Forty  Years  among  the  Zulus.     Rev.  Josiah  Tyler 

Gaboon  Stories.     Mrs   S.  J.  Preston.     80  cents. 

Garenganze :  Seven  Years'  Pioneer  Work  in  Central  Africa. 
Fred.  S.  Arnot.     51.25. 

George  PauU  of  Benito.     S.  Wilson,  D.  D.     $1.00. 

Glimpses  of  Western  Africa.     S.J.  Whitoii.     85  cents. 

How  I  found  Livingstone.     H.  M.  Stanley      $3.50. 

In  Darkest  Africa.     H.  M.  Stanley. 

Life  of  Bishop  Hanningtou.     E.  C.  Dawson. 

Life  of  David  Livingstone.     Samuel  Smiles. 

Life's  Adventures  in  South  Africa.     R.  Moffat.     75  cents. 

Missionar}'  Landscapes  in  the  Dark  Continent.  Rev.  James 
Johnston 

Missionary  Travels  and  Researches  in  South  Africa.  D.  Living- 
stone.    I1.75. 

Nyassa  :  the  Founding  of  Livingstonia.     E.D.Young,     "js.  bd. 

Reality  versus  Romance  in  Africa.    James  Johnston,  M.  D. 

Sierra  Leone  ;  or  the  White  Man's  Grave.  G.  A.  L.  Banbury. 
10s.  6d. 

The  Congo,  and  the  Founding  of  Its  Free  State.  H  M.  Stanley. 
2v.     $10. CO. 

The  Gospel  on  the  Banks  of  the  Niger.  S.  Crowther  and  J.  Taylor. 
|i  50. 

The  New  World  of  Central  Africa.  Mrs.  H.  Grattan  Guinness. 
$2.00. 

The  Ogowe  Band.    J.  H.  Reading.     I3.00. 

The  Story  of  Uganda.     S.  G.  Stock.     $1.25. 

The  Wild  Tribes  of  the  Soudan      F.  L.  James.     215 

Through  the  Dark  Continent.     H.  M.  Stanley.     2 v. 

Trophies  from  African  Heathenism.     Robert  Young,  F.R.S.,  G.S. 

Tropical  Africa.     H.  Drummond.     $150 

Twenty  Years  in  Central  Africa  ;  the  Story  of  the  Universities' 
Mission.     H.  Rowley.     3.^.  6d. 

Western  Africa.    J.  Leighton  Wilson,  D.D.     f  1.25. 

Zulu  Laud.     Rev.  Lewis  Grout.     $r  50. 


China 


-^^~J 


:^' 


i...f  - '' 


?^ffefe^ 


ij 


CHINA. 


The  Country. 

"The  Middle  Kingdom  "  contains  more  than 
Population  one-fourth  of  the  human  race.  A  New  Eng- 
land pastor  has  suggested  the  following  object 
lesson  :  A  diagram  is  drawn  containing  one  hundred 
sqviares,  each  representing  four  millions  of  souls.  On  this 
surface,  which  stands  for  China,  ten  squares  are  marked  off 
for  France,  eighteen  for  the  United  States,  etc.;  and  the 
population  of  China  exceeds,  by  more  than  one-half,  the 
aggregate  population  of  the  five  foremost  nations  of  Chris- 
tendom. Various  estimates  have  been  made  by  those  best 
qualified  to  judge  ;  it  is  probably  safe,  however,  to  place  the 
population  of  this  hive  of  humanity  at  three  hundred  and 
fifty  millions. 

The  eighteen  provinces  of  China  proper  em- 
Area  brace  an  area  of  a  million  and  a  half  square 
miles  ;  while  the  Chinese  empire  extends  over 
nearly  one-tenth  of  the  habitable  globe.  "  Each  province 
in  China,"  says  a  recent  writer,  "  is  about  as  large  as  Great 
Britain  ;  so  that  China  proper  may  be  compared  to  eighteen 
Great  Britains  placed  side  by  side.  But  when  we  include 
Mongolia,  Manchuria,  Thibet,  and  other  dependencies,  we 
find  that  the  vermilion  pencil  lays  down  the  law  for  a  terri- 
tory as  large  as  Europe  and  about  one-third  more." 

Chinese   history  embraces  a   period   of   more 
History  than  forty  centuries.     The  chief  authority  for 

this  history  is  the  S/iu  King,  a  work  in  which 
Confucius  compiled  the  historical  documents  of  the  nation. 
From  this  we  learn  that  Yao  and  Shun  reigned  from  2357 
B.C.  to  about  2200  B.C.,  when  the  Hia  Dynasty  was  founded 
by  Yu  the  Great.  This  was  succeeded,  1766  B.C.,  by  the 
Shang  Dynasty,  which  in  its  turn  was  overthrown,  about 
1 100  B.C.  by  Wu  Wang,  founder  of  the  Chau  Dynasty.- 
During  this  period  (iioo  to  255  B.C.)  lived  Confucius,  who 
was  born   551    B.C.     The    Ts'm   Dyfiasty  was   founded   249 


40  HIvSTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

B.C.  by  the  tyrant  Lucheng,  who  was  the  first  to  assume  the 
title  Whang  fee.  He  built  the  Great  Wall  as  a  protection 
against  the  invasion  of  the  Tartars,  and  attempted  to  blot 
out  the  memory  of  the  past  by  burning  the  books  that  con- 
tained historical  records.  From  the  name  of  this  dynasty 
the  country  was  called  Chin  or  China.  The  Ha?i  Dynasty 
continued  from  206  B.C.  to  220  a. d.  One  of  the  emperors 
of  this  line  restored  the  books  destroyed  by  Lucheng  ;  and 
another,  a.d.  66,  sent  to  the  West,  in  search  of  a  new  religion, 
messengers,  who  returned  accompanied  by  Buddhist  priests. 
A  period  of  division  was  succeeded  by  the  second  Ts'in 
Dynasty,  which  continued  until  a.d.  420.  After  the  rule  of 
the  Tartars  in  the  North,  the  families  of  Sn}ig  and  Tang 
came  successively  into  power.  The  invasion  of  Genghis 
Khan,  in  the  thirteenth  century,  resulted  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  Mongol  Dynasty  (a.d.  i 279-1 368).  A  revolu- 
tion led  by  a  Buddhist  monk  overthrew  the  Mongols,  who 
were  followed  a.d.  1368  by  the  Mings.  This  dj^nasty  con- 
tinued until  A.D.  1644,  when  the  Manchoo  Tartars,  taking 
advantage  of  a  political  quarrel,  placed  upon  the  throne 
Shun-chi,  son  of  their  own  king,  and  founded  the  Ts' ing 
Dynasty,  which  continues  to  the  present  day. 

The  Chinese  language  has  no  alphabet  ;  each 
Language  character    represents   a   word.     The   imperial 

dictionary  of  the  Emperor  Kang-hi  contains 
more  than  forty  thousand  characters  ;  but  it  is  said  that  only 
five  or  six  thousand  are  in  ordinary  use.  These  characters 
are  not  inflected.  Distinctions  which  in  other  languages 
are  marked  by  a  change  in  the  form  of  the  word,  in  the 
Chinese  are  made  b)^  using  additional  characters  e.  g., 
people  is  multitude  man,  son  is  man  child,  etc.  In  the  writ- 
ten language  the  characters  are  arranged  in  perpendicular 
columns,  which  are  read  from  top  to  bottom  and  from  right 
to  left.  The  negative  form  of  the  Golden  Rule,  as  given  in 
the  Lungyu  or  "  Conversation,"  is  regarded  as  a  good 
specimen  of  Chinese  style  : 

Ki        su       uk      pok      uk     sic      u      ing. 
Self    what     not     wish     not     do     to     man. 

The  Wen  Li  is  the  written  or  classical  language,  and  is 
understood  in  all  parts  of  the  empire,  while  the  spoken 
dialects  or  colloquials  differ  almost  as  much  as  do  the 
languages  of  Europe.  The  Wen  Li  is  not  used  in  conversa- 
tion.    For  this  the  following  reason  is  given  :    since  the 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  4I 

number  of  characters  is  many  times  greater  than  the  num- 
ber of  monosyllables  which  it  is  possible  to  form  with  the 
vocal  organs,  several  different  characters  must  receive  the 
same  sound.  The  written  language  therefore  speaks  to  the 
eye  rather  than  to  the  ear.  Quotations  from  books,  used  in 
conversation,  are  most  intelligible  when  already  familiar  to 
the  listener.  Among  the  more  important  of  the  colloquials 
are  the  Canton,  the  Amoy,  the  Foochow,  the  Shanghai,  and 
the  Ningpo. 

The  K-.canyhwa,  "language  of  officers,"  is  the  court 
dialect,  which  the  government  requires  all  its  officials  to  use. 
It  is  commonly  called  by  foreigners  the  mandarin  (from  the 
Portuguese  mando,  to  command).  It  is  the  prevalent  lan- 
guage in  sixteen  provinces,  and  is  spoken  by  about  two 
hundred  millions  of  Chinamen,  Both  the  Mandarin  and 
the  more  important  colloquials  have  been  reduced  to  writing. 
To  master  the  Chinese  language  is  not  an  easy  task.  John 
Wesley  said  the  devil  invented  it  to  keep  the  gospel  out  of 
China.  The  difficulty  of  acquiring  one  of  the  colloquials  is 
increased  by  the  use  of  the  tones  and  aspirates.  For  exam- 
ple, in  the  colloquial  of  Amoy  there  are  ten  different  ways 
of  uttering  the  monosyllable  pang,  and  according  to  the 
utterance  it  has  as  many  different  meanings.  A  missionary 
was  once  visiting  a  family  who  were  mourning  the  death  of 
a  near  relation.  Wishing  to  ask  whether  they  had  buried 
the  corpse,  he  used  the  right  word,  but  misplaced  the  aspi- 
rate, so  that  he  really  asked  whether  they  had  murdered 
their  relative. 

Pigeon-English  is  business  Flnglish.  "Pigeon"  was 
merely  the  result  of  the  Chinaman's  attempt  to  pronounce 
the  word  business.  This  Anglo-Chinese  dialect  is  a  jargon 
consisting  of  a  few  hundred  words — chiefly  corrupt  English 
words — while  the  idioms  are  mostly  Chinese.  It  serves  the 
purpose  for  which  it  was  invented,  enabling  the  two  races 
to  communicate  at  the  commercial  centres  without  the  neces- 
sity of  either  learning  the  language  of  the  other. 

"Never,"  says  Dr.  W.  A.  P.  Martin,  "have  a 
the?eoi)^le°       "S^^^"^  people  been  more  misunderstood.     They 

are  denounced  as  stolid  because  we  are  not  in 
possession  of  a  medium  sufficiently  transparent  to  convey 
our  ideas  to  them  or  transmit  theirs  to  us;  and  stigmatized 
as  barbarians  because  we  want  the  breadth  to  comprehend  a 
civilization  different  from  our  own.  They  are  represented 
as  servile  imitators,  though  they  have  borrowed  less  than 
(4) 


42  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

any  other  people;  as  destitute  of  the  inventive  faculty, 
though  the  world  is  indebted  to  them  for  a  long  catalogue  of 
the  most  useful  discoveries;  and  as  clinging  with  unques- 
tioning tenacity  to  a  heritage  of  traditions,  though  they  haVt 
passed  through  many  and  profound  changes  in  their  history. ' ' 

The  Chinese  had  anciently  a  knowledge  of  a 
Religions  divine   Being,   received  possibly   by  tradition 

from  an  earlier  time.  The  worship  of  this 
great  Power,  which  they  called  Shangte  (Supreme  Ruler), 
became  very  early  a  representative  worship.  It  was 
restricted  to  the  emperor;  the  people  had  no  part  in  it.  This 
fact  may  account  for  the  growth  of  idolatry,  the  worship  of 
a  great  multitude  of  spirits,  and  the  worship  of  ancestors. 
"  It  is  not  ingratitude,"  they  say,  "but  reverence,  that  pre- 
vents our  worship  of  Shangte.  He  is  too  great  for  us  to 
worship.  None  but  the  emperor  is  worthy  to  lay  an  oflfering 
on  the  altar  of  Heaven. ' '  Although  the  original  monothe- 
ism is  retained  in  the  state  worship  of  to-day,  the  idea  of 
God  is  almost  whoU}^  lost. 

Confucius  used  the  more  indefinite  term  7^' z<?;^  (heaven) 
instead  of  Shangte,  though  doubtless  referring  to  the  per- 
sonal Being  whom  his  countrymen  had  worshipped.  He 
did  not  pretend  to  originate  any  new  system  of  doctrine,  but 
merely  to  expound  the  teachings  of  the  wise  men  who  had 
preceded  him.  He  enjoined  the  duties  arising  out  of  the 
five  relations — those  subsisting  between  emperor  and  subject, 
father  and  son,  husband  and  wife,  older  and  younger  brother, 
friend  and  friend.  He  also  taught  the  five  virtues^'en , 
benevolence,  17,  righteousness,  //,  propriety,  cic,  knowledge, 
sin,  faith.  But  of  all  the  duties  arising  out  of  the  relations 
of  life,  Confucius  dwelt  most  upon  respect  for  one's  parents 
Filial  obedience  is  the  first  and  greatest  duty.  "  No  stigma 
which  could  be  attached  to  the  character  of  a  Chinaman  is 
more  dreaded  than  that  of  puh-hiao,  undutiful.  But  a  good 
principle  is  carried  to  an  unwarranted  extreme  when  Con- 
fucius teaches  that  filial  piety  demands  the  worship  of  parents 
and  sacrifice  to  them  after  death.  The  little  tablet  set  up  in 
the  ancestral  hall  is  supposed  to  be  occupied,  while  the  ser- 
vice is  performing,  by  the  spirit  of  the  departed  whose  name 
and  title  are  inscribed  upon  it.  Before  this  tablet  incense 
and  candles  are  burned  and  prostrations  made;  offerings  of 
food  are  brought;  while  paper  money  and  other  articles  made 
of  paper,  supposed  to  be  needed  in  the  spirit  world,  are 
burned." 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  43 

When  the  disciples  of  Confucius  asked  their  master  about 
death  he  frankly  replied,  "Imperfectly  acquainted  with  life, 
how  can  I  know  death?"  The  doctrine  of  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  though  implied  in  ancestral  worship,  was  not 
distinctly  taught.  Confucius  recognized  the  existence  of  a 
God,  but  was  unable  to  teach  anything  definite  concerning 
Him.  It  has  been  well  said  that  there  is  in  the  system  "no 
bringing  down  of  God  to  men  in  order  to  lift  them  up  to 
Him." 

Taouism  orginated  with  Lao-tse,  who  lived  in  the  sixth 
century  B.C.,  and  was  contemporary  with  Confucius.  It 
was  an  abstruse  system  full  of  superstitions.  As  a  religion 
it  did  not  become  popular  until,  influenced  by  Buddhism,  it 
was  modified  to  its  present  form.  It  supplied  some  of  the 
gods  that  are  supposed  to  watch  over  the  interests  of  the 
people. 

The  spiritual  wants  of  the  Chinese  were  not  satisfied.  It 
was  no  doubt  the  imperfection  of  their  religious  systems  that 
led  the  emperor  Mingte,  of  the  Han  Dynasty,  to  send  an 
embassy  in  search  of  teachers,  and  disposed  the  people  to 
listen  to  the  doctrines  of  Buddhism.  The  distinctive  char- 
acteristics of  the  system,  as  given  by  Dr.  Nevius,  are  a  belief 
in  a  benevolent  deity  associated  with  inferior  ones,  whose 
special  object  and  care  it  is  to  save  man  from  sin  and  its 
consequences;  the  doctrines  of  the  transmigration  of  souls 
and  the  efficacy  of  good  works.  The  great  object  of  wor- 
ship is  to  make  provision  for  the  future  state  by  obtaining 
merit.  Most  of  the  worshippers  at  the  temples  are  women. 
Believing  in  the  transmigration  of  souls,  they  hope,  by 
faithfulness  in  worship,  to  be  born  in  more  favorable  circum- 
stances. 

The  Chinaman  has  been  called  a  religious  triangle.  He 
does  not  profess  one  of  the  Sa^i  Kiao,  or  three  creeds,  to  the 
exclusion  of  the  other  two.  All  three  exert  an  influence 
over  his  mind.  They  are  supplementary;  the  one  is  supposed 
to  meet  a  spiritual  want  for  which  the  others  make  no  pro- 
vision. But  his  three  religions  have  not  made  the  Chinaman 
moral;  they  have  not  taught  him  about  God;  they  have  not 
delivered  him  from  the  thraldom  of  sin. 

Work  of  the  Nestorians. 

In  1625,  at  Si-ngan  Fu,  in  the  province  of  Shensi,  a 
monument  was  found  which  establishes  the  fact  that  the 
gospel  was  introduced  into  China  by  Nestorian  missionaries. 


44 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


It  was  erected  during  the  Tang  dynasty,  in  781  a.d.  The 
inscription  upon  the  tablet,  in  ancient  Chinese  and  Syriac 
characters,  gives  an  abstract  of  the  Christian  religion,  and 
some  account  of  the  Nestorian  missions  in  China. 

The  work  and  influence  of  the  Nestorians  must  have 
been  widely  extended  in  the  eighth  century.  The  tablet 
speaks  of  the  great  eternal  cause  as  "  Our  three  in  One 
mysterious  Being,  the  true  Lord."  It  gives  an  account  of 
the  creation,  the  sin  of  man,  the  circumstances  connected 
with  the  advent  of  our  Lord,  His  work  and.  ascension,  the 
growth  of  the  early  Church,  the  coming  of  missionaries  to 
China  and  their  favorable  reception  by  the  emperor,  who 
said  of  Christianity  :  "As  is  right,  let  it  be  promulgated 
throughout  the  empire."  Among  the  various  causes  given 
for  the  loss  of  that  wide  influence  which  the  Nestorians 
exerted  for  several  centuries  is  the  following  :  * '  Their 
civilization  was  of  a  lower  type  than  that  of  China  ' '  Per- 
secutions and  dynastic  changes  weakened  the  Church,  and 
it  finally  became  extinct. 

Early  Protestant  Effort. 

Protestant  missionary  effort  in  China  is  embraced  in 
three  periods  :  first,  from  1807  to  1842  ;  second,  from  1842 
to  i860  ;  third,  from  i860  to  the  present  time. 

Robert  Morrison,  sent  bj'^the  London  Missionar}'^  Society, 
sailed  in  1807,  and  went  first  to  Macao,  a  Portuguese  settle- 
ment in  the  mouth  of  the  Canton  River.  He  afterwards 
became  translator  for  the  East  India  Company's  factory  out- 
side of  Canton.  He  was  most  diligent  in  his  work  of  study 
and  translation,  and  though  "  a  prisoner  in  his  own  house, 
so  far  as  direct  evangelistic  work  was  concerned,"  he  secret- 
ly instructed  as  many  natives  as  he  could  reach.  He  baptized 
Tsai  A-ko,  the  first  convert,  in  1814.  His  translation  of 
the  New  Testament  was  completed  about  that  time  ;  and  in 
1818,  with  the  assistance  of  Milne,  the  whole  Bible  was 
finished.  The  work  of  the  first  period  was  done  chiefly  in 
the  Malayan  archipelago.  It  was  a  time  of  foundation -lay- 
ing. The  language  was  studied,  grammars  and  dictionaries 
were  made,  the  Bible  and  other  books  translated.  Tracts 
and  parts  of  the  Scriptures  were  distributed,  about  one 
hundred  converts  were  baptized,  and  a  few  native  preachers 
trained  for  the  work. 

In  1842,  by  the  treaty  of  Nanking,  five  ports — Canton, 
Amoy,   Ningpo,   Foochow  and  Shanghai — were  opened  to 


Till-:    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  45 

foreign  trade  and  residence.  These  cities  were  at  once 
entered  by  the  faithful  laborers,  who,  in  the  Island  Missions 
among  Chinese  emigrants,  at  Malacca,  Penang,  Singapore 
and  Batavia,  had  prepared  for  such  an  opening.  Other 
missionaries  were  sent,  and  at  the  close  of  the  second  period, 
though  all  effort  had  been  confined  to  the  treaty  ports,  tlie 
native  Christians  numbered  about  thirteen  hundred. 

The  Treaty  of  Tien-tsin,  i860,  not  only  legalized  Chris- 
tian missions  and  recognized  the  rights  of  Chinese  converts, 
but  opened  other  places  to  the  gospel. 

Work  of  thk  Prksbyterian  Church. 

The  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  which  grew  out  of  the  Western  Foreign  Missionary 
Society,  and  w^as  organized  October  31,  1837,  commissioned 
Rev:  R.  W.  Orr  and  Rev.  J.  A.  Mitchell  for  the  Chinese 
Mission.  They  sailed  from  New  York  December  9,  1837, 
for  Singapore.  Mr.  Mitchell  was  soon  removed  by  death 
and  Mr.  Orr  was  compelled  by  failing  health  to  return  with- 
in two  years.  Rev.  T.  L-  McBryde,  sent  out  in  1840, 
returned  in  1843  for  the  same  reason.  The  next  reinforce- 
ments were  J.  C.  Hepburn,  M.D.,  who  still  continues  in  the 
service  of  the  Board,  and  Rev.  Walter  M  I^owrie,  who  met 
his  death  by  the  hands  of  pirates  in  1847. 

Dr.  Hepburn  and  Mr.  Lowrie  in  1843  transferred  the 
mission  from  Singapore  to  Amoy,  China,  and  were  soon 
joined  by  Dr.  D.  B.  McCartee,  now  working  in  Japan,  and 
Mr.  Richard  Cole.  A  special  appeal  was  now  made  for 
funds,  and  as  a  result  the  church  was  enabled  to  strengthen 
the  mission.  Among  those  sent  out  were  Rev.  Messrs.  R. 
Q.  Way,  M.S.  Culbertson,  A.  W.  Loomis.  Mr.  M.S.  Coul- 
ter, and  their  wives.  Rev.  Messrs.  Brown,  Lloyd  and  A.  P. 
Happer.  Macao,  Amoy,  and  Ningpo  were  occupied  as 
stations. 

Our  Missions  in  China  are  six,  viz.  : 

I.  Canton  Mission.     IV.   East  Shantung  Mission. 
II.  Hainan  Mission       V.   West  Shantung  Mission. 
III.   Pekin  Mission.        VI.   Central  China  Mission. 


46  HISTORICAL  SKEICH   OI"^ 

Canton   Mission. 


Canton,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Kwan- 
Canton  tung,  is  located  on  the  Canton  River,  seventy- 

miles  from  the  sea.  It  contains  a  population 
of  1,500,000.  The  city  was  occupied  as  a  mission  station 
in  1845,  Macao  having  been  the  seat  of  the  mission  for  a 
few  years.  The  first  laborers  were  Rev.  Messrs.  Happer, 
Speer,  and  French.  The  agencies  at  first  employed  were 
chapel  preaching,  distribution  of  the  Scriptures,  teaching 
and  ministering  to  the  sick.  In  1846  a  boarding-school  for 
boys  was  established.  A  dispensary,  opened  in  185 1,  was 
under  the  care  of  Dr.  Happer  until  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Kerr, 
in  1854. 

The  First  Church  was  organized  with  »even  members  in 
January,  1862,  and  has  now  143.  Its  house  of  worship, 
first  occupied  in  1874,  is  located  opposite  the  Shamin,  an 
artificial  island  near  the  left  bank  of  the  river,  where  foreign- 
ers reside. 

The  Second  Church,  organized  in  1872,  has  a  member- 
ship of  423,  and  occupies  the  Pieston  Memorial  Chapel, 
dedicated  in  1883,  in  memory  of  Rev.  C.  F.  Preston,  a 
missionary  of  the  Board  from  1854  to  1877. 

The  Third  Church  was  organized  in  1S81,  is  situated  in 
the  centre  of  the  city  and  has  88  members. 

Several  other  churches  in  the  neighborhood  of  Canton, 
numbering  from  20  to  230  members,  are  cared  for  by  the 
mission.  Most  of  these  were  founded  in  the  face  of  bitter 
opposition,  and  have  always  been  more  or  less  persecuted. 
In  1894  Canton  was  visited  by  the  bubonic  plague,  which 
swept  away  nearly  100,000  victims.  This  was  attended  by 
a  wide-spread  out-break  of  superstitious  hostility  against 
foreigners,  who  were  supposed  to  have  caused  the  pestilence. 
The  chapel  of  the  Shek  Lung  Church  was  destroyed  for  the 
third  time  within  a  few  years,  and  a  Chinese  teacher 
murdered.  The  church  at  San  Ning,  consisting  largely  of 
Chinese  converted  while  in  America,  also  suffered  severely. 

Chapel  services,  with  daily  preaching,  are  maintained  at 
four  different  points  in  the  city.  In  this  work  the  mission- 
aries are  assisted  by  native  preachers ;  as  a  result,  thousands 
hear  the  gospel  every  year. 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  47 

There  are  twenty- eight  out-stations  with  con- 
Out-Stations     gregations   of  varj'ing  size,  not  as  yet  organ- 
ized into  churches.     Many  of  them  have  neat 
chapels,  built  by  themselves. 

A  boys'  boarding-school,  opened  in  1885,  has 
Schools  given  a  thorough   Christian  training  to  more 

than  300  boys,  many  of  whom  have  become 
preachers  and  teachers.  In  1893  it  was  incorporated  with 
the  "  Christian  College "'  founded  l)y  the  late  Dr.  Happer, 
as  the  crowning  labor  of.  the  long  and  fruitful  life  which  he 
devoted  to  the  service  of  China.  This  college  while  in  close 
connection  with  the  Mission  is  controlled  by  its  own  trustees, 
chosen  by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  There  are  106 
students.  In  1896  a  chapel  was  added,  given  by  the  Rev. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Noyes  in  memory  of  their  parents. 

The  Canton  Female  Seminary  was  opened  in  1872,  by 
Miss  Harriet  Noyes,  who  still  superintends  it,  assisted  by 
Miss  Butler  and  Miss  Lewis.  It  comprises  a  training  school 
for  women,  and  a  girls'  boarding-school,  with  advanced, 
intermediate  and  primary  grades.  There  are  183  pupils. 
The  Missionary  Society  of  the  school  supports  three  Bible- 
women  . 

There  is  a  small  orphanage  under  the  care  of  the  mission, 
and  a  school  for  the  blind,  which  originated  through  the 
medical  work  of  Dr.  Mary  Niles.  This  was  removed  to 
Macao  at  the  time  of  the  plague.  Thirty  day-schools  are 
sustained  in  Canton  and  the  vicinity. 

Dr.  Peter  Parker,  the  founder  of  medical 
Medical  Work  missions  in  China,  opened  a  hospital  in  Canton 
in  1835,  chiefly  for  the  treatment  of  diseases  of 
the  eye.  In  1854  the  care  of  the  hospital  was  transferred  to 
Dr.  J.  G.  Kerr,  who  is  supported  by  the  Presbyterian  Board, 
while  the  finances  of  the  institution  are  managed  by  the 
Canton  Hospital  Society.  The  current  expenses  are  met  by 
the  foreign  community  and  the  Chinese  officials.  Over 
tw^enty  thousand  patients  receive  treatment  in  a  year.  The 
Chinese  name  for  the  institution  means  "The  Hospital  of 
Broad  and  Free  Beneficence."  With  the  healing  a  spiritual 
gift  has  been  offered,  for  the  two-fold  duties  of  the  medical 
missionary  have  been  recognized,  as  expressed  in  the  words 
of  our  Saviour,  "Heal  the  sick,  and  say  unto  them.  The 
kingdom  of  God  is  come  unto  you."  There  is  a  daily 
morning  service  in  the  hospital  chapel,  followed  by  personal 
visitation,  and  the  distribution  of  religious  books  and  tracts. 


48  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

No  more  fruitful  field  for  evangelistic  work  could  be  desired. 
A  large  class  of  medical  students  is  under  instruction.  Dr. 
Kerr  has  published  20  medical  works  in  the  Chinese  language. 

There  is  a  Sunday-school  connected  with  the  hospital, 
and  day-schools  for  men  and  women. 

Four  dispensaries  in  other  parts  of  the  city  reach  thous- 
ands of  patients  N^early. 

The  Gospel  Medical  Boat,  in  charge  of  Rev.  A.  A.  Ful- 
ton, performs  the  functions  of  a  traveling  chapel  and  a  dis- 
pensary. Two  colporteurs  and  a  .Chinese  doctor  are  em- 
ployed upon  it,  and  it  visits  each  year  hundreds  of  villages. 
This  work  is  supported  by  four  Christian  Endeavor  Societies 
in  America. 

Lien  Chow,  200  miles  northwest  of  Canton  by 
Lien  Chow  water,  was  long  an  out-station  of  Canton.  It 
is  an  important  point,  lying  near  the  province 
of  Hunan,  which  is  almost  untouched  by  missionary  effort, 
and  within  easy  reach  of  the  lus,  an  aboriginal  tribe  inhabit- 
ing the  hill  country,  who  seem  peculiarly  open  to  evangelistic 
work.  A  chapel  was  leased  in  1879  by  Mr.  Henry,  and  a 
church  organized  in  1886  with  a  Chinese  pastor,  In  1886  a 
chapel  was  built  at  Sam  Kong,  10  miles  distant,  where  it 
seemed  best  that  the  missionaries  should  live.  A  house  was 
secured  after  much  delay  and  occupied  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Machle  and  Miss  Louise  Johnston. 

A  hospital  was  opened  in  1891,  and  a  women's  ward 
added  in  1895.  Property  for  a  hospital  was  secured  at  Lien 
Chow,  but  the  opposition  was  so  great  that  it  was  not  occu- 
pied until  1897. 

Five  day-schools  and  four  out-stations  are  connected 
with  this  station. 

Yeung  Kong,  150  miles  southwest  of  Canton, 
Yeung  Kong  was  first  opened  in  1S86,  in  spite  of  serious 
opposition.  In  1893,  property  was  obtained 
and  occupied  by  Rev.  Andrew  Beattie  and  Dr.  D.  A. 
Beattie,  with  their  wives.  In  February  1895,  a  mob  des- 
troyed the  chapel  and  drove  away  the  missionaries,  inter- 
rupting the  work  for  a  time.  After  quiet  was  restored,  the 
place  was  occupied  by  Rev.  G.  W.  Marshall  and  Rev.  E.  P. 
Fisher,  and  the  dispensary  and  chapel  reopened.  There  are 
two  out-stations  and  a  small  school. 

Kang  Hau,   200  miles  northwest  of  Canton, 

Kang  Hau        is  the  centre  for  work   among  the  Hakkas,  a 

thrifty    and    intelligent    race    inhabiting   the 


7l 


k;r:.,;^'r:j--j!i« 


II  V  I  NA\ 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  49 

highland  region ,  who  are  perhaps  the  most  promising  ele- 
ment in  the  province.  A  church  was  organized  in  1890. 
Work  will  be  carried  on  in  the  Hakka  dialect,  which  is 
quite  different  from  the  Cantonese. 


Hainan    Mission. 


The  Island  of  Hainan  is  situated  at  the  extreme  south- 
ern point  of  the  Chinese  Empire,  and  is  250  miles  southeast 
of  Hongkong.  It  is  about  twice  the  size  of  New  Jerse}', 
with  a  population  estimated  at  1,500,000. 

About  one-third  of  the  island  is  in  possession  'of  the 
original  inhabitants,  the  Loi,  who  occup^^  the  whole  of  the 
hill  country  and  a  part  of  the  northwestern  plain.  The 
remainder  is  occupied  by  descendants  of  emigrants  from  the 
regions  about  Amoy.  A  few  thousand  Hakkas  are  also 
found  in  the  district  near  the  hills. 

The  Loi  are  generally  taller  and  finer  looking  than  the 
Chinese,  have  gentle  manners,  and  while  the  different  tribes 
have  constant  trouble  among  themselves  they  are  kindly  dis- 
posed toward  strangers  and  seldom  attack  the  Chinese  unless 
the}"  have  received  some  injury  from  them.  The}'  are  gov- 
erned by  their  own  chiefs,  some  of  whom  recognize  to  some 
extent  the  authority  of  the  Chinese  Government.  They 
have  their  own  language,  but  some  of  them  understand  the 
Hainanese  dialect. 

The  first  Protestant  missionary  effort  was  undertaken  by 
Mr.  C.  C.  Jeremiassen,  then  an  independent  missionary, 
who  came  to  the  island  in  1881  and  first  made  his  head- 
quarters at  Hoihow,  the  only  port  open  to  foreign  trade. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  following  year,  he  made  an  entire 
circuit  of  the  island,  selling  books  and  dispensing  medicines. 
Mr.  Jeremiassen  continued  the  work  alone  until  he  joined 
the  Canton  Mission  in  1SS5.  During  that  year  Rev.  H.  V. 
Noyes  of  Canton  visited  the  chapel  in  Nodoa,  a  market 
town,  examined  22  applicants  for  baptism  and  baptized  nine. 
In  November  1885  Dr.  McCandliss  moved  to 
Kiungchow  Kiungchow,  the  capital  of  the  island,  three 
miles  inland,  where  they  rented  a  large  ances- 
tral hall  which  is  still  retained  b}'  the  Mission.  They  were 
joined  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Oilman  early  in  February.  In  1887 
the  station  rented  an  ancestral  hall  for  hospital  purposes. 
One  evening  during  the  triennial  examination,  a  soldier  was 


50  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

shot.  He  was  taken  to  the  hospital  and  the  wound  dressed 
amidst  hundreds  of  spectators.  His  life  was  saved.  This 
brought  the  hospital  work  into  great  prominence. 

There  is  but  one  chapel  in  Kiungchow,  and  that  in  con- 
nection with  the  hospital  where  daily  instruction  is  given  to 
the  patients  and  such  visitors  as  are  inclined  to  enter. 
During  the  quarterly  examinations  held  for  Chinese  stud- 
ents it  is  crowded  daily  with  constantly  changing  audiences. 

An  outbreak  of  the  plague  in  1895  forced  the  mission- 
aries to  remove  to  Hoi  How,  the  seaport,  where  they  were 
able  to  obtain  land,  and  have  built  permanent  and  healthful 
houses. 

The  ladies  of  the  Mission  carry  on  a  school  for  children, 
and  visit  the  women  in  their  homes 

During  '86  and  '87,  a  large  force  of  soldiers 
Nodoa  was  stationed  at  Nodoa,  90  miles  from   Kiung 

Chow,  to  quell  the  district  feud  and  to  open 
the  Loi  country  to  the  south.  During  the  summer  of  '87 
fever  broke  out  among  them  and  many  died.  Mr.  Jeremi- 
assen  immediately  went  to  them  and  was  so  successful  in 
treating  them  that  not  a  single  patient  died  under  his  care. 
For  his  services  the  officer  in  charge  gave  him  a  site  and 
money  to  erect  two  cheap  hospital  buildings,  one  of  which 
was,  at  the  expense  of  the  Mission,  made  permanent  and 
is  still  in  use  as  a  school  building. 

Rev.  F.  P.  Oilman  and  Mrs.  Oilman  went  to  Nodoa  in 
1889,  and  were  followed  by  the  Rev.  J.  C  Melrose  and  wife. 

A  chapel  was  built  and  schools  begun  for  boys  and  girls. 
Several  dialects  are  spoken  here,  but  all  the  pupils  and  most 
of  the  Christians  are  Hakkas.  A  dispensary  was  opened  at 
once,  and  a  suitable  building  for  the  hospital  is  under  way. 

A  small  press,  given  by  friends,  has  provided  copies  of 
the  gospel  in  Romanized  Hainanese,  and  the  necessary 
school-books.  Itinerating  work  is  at  present  the  most 
important,  and  is  prosecuted  with  great  energy.  Trips  have 
been  made  into  the  hill  country,  where  the  Loi  people  are 
found  friendly  and  impressible.  They  worship  no  idols, 
and  seem  ready  to  cast  away  their  traditional  faith,  and 
accept  the  true  religion. 

A  station  was  opened  at  Loklah  in  the  south- 

Loklah  eastern  part  of  the  island  by    Mr.   and    Mrs. 

Jeremiassen    in     1896.      The    town    contains 

about  3,000  families,  and  is  near  the  entrance  to  the  hills 

and  the  Loi  country.     The  people  welcomed   the  mission- 


THR    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  5 1 

aries  warmly,  and  there  was  no  difficulty  in  renting  property 
for  a  chapel,  dispensary  and  residence. 

In  1893  the  island  of  Hainan  and  the  peninsula  north  of 
it  were  set  apart  as  a  separate  mission.  The  population 
number  about  3,000,000,  and  no  other  body  of  Christians  is 
working  among  them. 


Peking  Mission. 


Peking,  the  imperial  capital,  lying  in  the  lati- 
Peking  tude  of  Philadelphia,  includes  within  its  walls 

an  area  of  twenty-seven  square  miles,  and  has 
a  population  of  about  two  millions.  It  consists  of  three 
cities.  The  southern  is  occupied  by  pure  Chinamen,  the 
northern  by  descendants  of  the  Tartars  ;  and  within  this  is 
the  forbidden  or  imperial  city,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall, 
and  a  moat,  forty  feet  wide,  filled  with  water.  As  Peking  is 
the  educational  centre  of  China,  an  opportunity  is  here 
presented  to  meet  and  influence  men  from  every  part  of  the 
empire.  It  is  in  some  respects  the  most  interesting  mission 
field  in  the  world,  and  certainly  one  of  the  most  difficult. 

Dr.  W.  A.  P.  Martin  and  his  wife  established  a  mission 
here  in  1863.  In  1869  Dr.  Martin  was  elected  president  of 
the  Tungwen  College,  and  resigned  his  connection  with  the 
Board.  His  place  was  taken  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Whiting  and 
Rev.  Daniel  McCoy,  who  have  since  been  reinforced  by 
others. 

There  are  now  two  churches  in  the  city,  with  excellent 
Sunday-schools,  Societies  of  Christian  Endeavor,  and  other 
organizations  for  training  the  members  who  number  nearl}^ 
400.  Chapel  preaching  which  is  well  attended  in  Peking  is 
regarded  as  an  economical  method  of  work,  since  it  reaches 
not  only  those  in  the  neighborhood,  but  many  from  the 
country  and  from  other  cities 

Boarding-schools  both  for  girls  and  boys  are  filled  to 
overflowing,  and  there  are  a  number  of  small  day-schools. 

The  medical  work  is  of  great  importance,  giving  access 
to  all  classes  and  winning  friends  for  Christianity  in  high 
places. 

The  An  Ting  Hospital  and  Dispensary  is  in  charge  of  Dr. 
Coltman   who  also  lectures  to  the  students  of  the  Imperial 


52  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

College,   and    of   the  University   of    Peking.      There   is   a 
woman's  hospital,  and  four  country  dispensaries. 

The  war  with  Japan  in  1894-95,  when  Peking  was  seri- 
ously threatened,  and  the  consequent  disturbances,  greatly 
interfered  with  the  evangelistic  work  in  the  country  regions. 
On  the  conclusion  of  peace,  several  tours  were  made  with 
encouraging  results. 

Paoting-fu  was  occupied  in  1S93  by  Rev.  J.  L. 
Paoting-fu        Whiting,  Rev.  J.  A.  iMiller  and  G.  Y.  Taylor, 

M.  D.  Much  reviling  and  opposition  marked 
the  first  year's  work,  but  the  prefect  of  the  city  was  veiy 
friendly,  and  afforded  efficient  protection.  Daily  preaching 
services  are  held  in  the  chapel  and  instruction  given  in  pri- 
vate. A  wide  field  is  open  for  itinerating,  and  a  portable 
chapel  is  made  useful  in  the  tours.  Medical  work  is  rapidly 
growing  into  large  proportions. 


East  Shantung  Mission. 

TUNGCHOW    AND    ChEFOO. 


West  Shantung  Mission. 

Chinanfu    (Tsi-nan),    Wei    Hein,    Ichowfu,    Chining 
Chow. 

The  province  of  Shantung,  hnng  between  the  Yellow  Sea 
and  the  Gulf  of  Pehchili,  is  about  the  size  of  Missouri,  and 
contains  29,000,000  people.  It  has  been  the  fountain  of 
intellectual  life  in  China — the  home  of  Confucius,  L,ao-tse 
and  other  sages — and  has  proved  a  peculiarly  fruitful  field 
for  Christian  work.  Rev.  J.  L.  Nevius  was  among  the 
pioneers  of  the  mission,  first  visiting  the  province  in  1861, 
and  until  his  death  in  1893  he  devoted  to  it  all  the  energies 
of  a  singularly  gifted  nature.  Assisted  by  his  colleagues,  he 
instituted  the  systematic  itineration  and  country  work  which 
has  laid  deep  and  broad  foundations  for  the  native  church, 
and  prepared  the  way  for  future  workers. 

In  1877,  and  again  in  1889-90,  Shantung  was  devastated 
by  frightful  famines.  Dr.  Nevius,  who  was  known  and 
respected  through  the  entire  region,  organized  a  relief  com- 
mittee, and  with  other  missionaries  spent  man}-  months  in 


THE    MISSIONS    IX    CHIxN'A.  53 

the  midst  of  the  sufferers.  Over  ^200,000  was  distributed 
in  1890,  giving  aid  to  150,000  sufierers.  By  this  means 
Christianity  was  commended  to  many  who  had  never  heard 
of  it,  and  large  accessions  to  the  churches  followed. 

In  1895,  the  growth  of  the  Mission  made  it  necessary  to 
separate  Tungchow  and  Chefoo  from  the  western  stations. 
Tungchow,  on  the  Gulf  of  Pehchili,  having  a 
Tungchow  population  of  150,000,  is  an  important  literary 
centre.  Rev.  Messrs.  Gayley  and  Danforth 
began  to  labor  here  in  1861.  Mr.  Gayley  was  soon  removed 
by  death  and  Mr.  Danforth  by  loss  of  health,  but  the  mis- 
sion was  reinforced  by  Rev.  Charles  H.  Mills  and  his  wife, 
transferred  from  Shanghai.  In  1864  Rev.  C.  W.  Mateer 
and  Rev.  H.  J.  Corbett  with  their  wives  arrived.  A  church 
was  organized  in  1862.  Much  faithful  work  has  been  done  at 
the  out-stations  and  in  the  villages  near  Tungchow. 
Woman's  work  has  not  been  neglected;  in  the  extensive 
tours  made  by  our  missionaries  many  native  womeri  have 
received  sympathy  and  instruction.  Dr.  Mills  continued  his 
active  labors  until  his  sudden  death  in  1895,  and  the  Shan- 
tung Church  will  long  bear  the  impress  of  his  devoted  service. 

In  1866  a  boys'  school  was  established  by  Rev.  C.  W. 
and  Mrs.  Mateer.  In  1878  its  name  was  changed  to  the 
Tungchow  High  School.  This  school  has  now  become  a 
college,  with  more  than  100  students,  and  a  fine  equipment 
for  secular  as  well  as  religious  education.  A  complete 
' '  philosophical  apparatus,  including  a  ten-inch  reflecting  tele- 
scope, equatorially  mounted  and  set  in  a  suitable  observa- 
tory," also  the  outfit  for  electric  lighting  and  heating 
(dynamo,  boiler  and  engine  given  by  friends),  form  part  of 
their  generous  furnishing  for  work.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mateer 
are  still  at  its  head. 

A  prosperous  girls'  school,  under  the  care  of  Miss  Snod- 
grass,  has  a  comfortable  new  building,  and  a  wide  field  of 
usefulness. 

Tungchow  was  especially  exposed  to  disturbance  during 
the  war  of  1 894-1 895,  being  three  times  bombarded  by  the 
Japanese.  While  regular  missionary  operations  were  sus- 
pended for  a  time,  unusual  opportunities  for  Christian  service 
were  opened  among  the  soldiers  and  the  terrified  population. 

A  hospital  and  dispensary  treat  each  year  thousands  of 
patients,  to  all  of  w^hom  the  gospel  is  faithfully  proclaimed. 

A  successful  effort  has  been  made,  on  a  small  scale,  by 
Mrs.  C.  R.  Mills,  to  care  for  the  deaf  and  dumb  Chinese, 


54  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

who  have  hitherto  been  without  any  special  care,  and  who 
willingly  bear  the  chief  expense  of  the  school. 

Chefoo,  one  of  the  most  healthful  and  attrac- 
Chefoo  tive  spots  in  all  China,  is  an  important  com- 

mercial city,  fifty  miles  southeast  of  Tungchow, 
and  the  chief  foreign  port  of  Shantung  Province.  It  was 
occupied  as  a  sanitarium  by  Dr.  McCartee  in  1862,  and  in 
1865  as  a  mission  station  by  Rev.  H.  J.  Corbett.  Many 
out-stations  are  connected  with  this  centre,  and  150  villages 
are  regularly  reached  by  itineration. 

Training  classes  are  held  at  different  points,  through 
which  efficient  Christian  helpers  are  obtained. 

There  is  a  large  boys'  boarding-school  which  is  a  feeder 
for  the  Tungchow  College,  and  also  a  boarding-school  for 
girls.  At  different  points  in  the  county  there  are  day-schools, 
under  the  care  of  this  station,  with  a  large  attendance. 

Chinanfu,  the  provincial  capital  of  Shantung, 
Chinanfu  is   situated    on    the    Hoang    Ho   river,    three 

hundred  miles  south  of  Peking,  and  about  the 
same  distance  west  of  Tungchow.  Rev.  J.  S.  Mcllvaine, 
with  a  native  helper,  visited  the  city  in  187 1.  Chapel 
preaching  was  begun,  two  boys'  schools  were  opened,  and 
various  other  agencies  employed.  After  laboring  alone  for 
some  time  Mr.  Mcllvaine  was  joined,  in  1875,  by  Mr. 
Crosset'vC  and  his  wife.  Mr.  Crossette  was  compelled  by  ill- 
health  to  leave  the  mission  in  1879,  and  Mr.  Mcllvaine  died 
February  2,  1881.  He  had  just  secured,  with  great  diffi- 
culty, a  permanent  location  for  a  chapel,  in  a  most  advan- 
tageous part  of  the  city.  Other  laborers  were  sent  to  take 
up  the  work,  but  the  great  hostility  shown  by  the  people  for 
several  years  made  it  impossible  to  buy  land  for  building 
residences.  During  the  favorable  re -action  caused  by  grati- 
tude for  the  famine  relief  in  1891,  an  imperial  edict  was 
issued,  declaring  that  the  work  of  the  missionaries  was  good 
and  they  must  be  protected.  This  enabled  them  to  buy  a 
desirable  property  outside  the  walls,  away  from  the  malaria 
and  heat  of  the  city.  A  hospital,  the  "Mcllvaine  Memori- 
al," was  opened  in  1892,  under  the  care  of  Dr.  J.  B.  Neal. 
There  is  also  special  medical  work  for  women,  and  two 
dispensaries  in  the  city.  A  class  of  medical  students  is 
under  instruction. 

The  church  in  the  city  has  a  comfortable  chapel,  and 
pays  most  of  the  salary  of  an  evangelist. 

The  boys'  boarding-school  has  a  good  building  on  high 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  55 

ground  A  Girls'  High  School  was  opened  in  1895,  with 
the  especial  object  of  training  teachers  for  the  country 
schools. 

Wei  Hien  is  an  important  city  in  the  interior, 
Wei  Hien  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  Tungchow, 

and  has  one  hundred  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  was  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1883,  by  Rev.  R.  M. 
Mateer,  Rev.  J.  H.  Laughlin,  and  their  wives,  and  Dr.  H. 
R.  Smith.  Since  then  the  station  has  been  largely  reinforced 
and  the  work  has  been  extended  to  ninety-seven  out-stations, 
where  preaching  services  are  held  Itinerating  work  is  con- 
stant and  fruitful,  and  seventeen  churches  have  been  formed. 
There  are  excellent  boarding-schools  at  Wei  Hien,  and 
seventy -five  primary  schools  in  the  -country  districts,  with 
nearly  one  thousand  pupils. 

The  local  work  is  largely  centred  in  the  hospitals  and 
dispensary,  erected  as  a  memorial  to  the  late  Mrs.  R.  M. 
Mateer.  A  faithful  Chinese  chaplain,  who  died  in  1895, 
was  the  means  of  great  spiritual  good  to  the  patients. 

Ichowfu,  150  miles  southwest  from  Chefoo, 
Ichowfu  was  occupied  in  1890,  by  Rev.  W.  P.  Chalfant, 

Rev.  C.  A.  Killie,  and  Dr.  C.  F.  Johnson. 
Property  was  secured  without  difficulty,  and  little  hostility 
shown.  The  place  had  been  for  years  an  out-station  of 
Chefoo,  so  that  a  nucleus  for  work  was  already  formed.  In 
1893  a  mob  of  robbers  attacked  the  mission  premises,  but 
the  local  authorities  prompth'-  put  down  the  rioters,  and 
promised  effectual  protection.  The  result  was  a  great  ad- 
vance in  all  departments  of  the  w^ork. 

The  Japanese  war  was  a  period  of  great  anxiety  and 
danger  in  Ichowfu.  Evangelistic  Work  was  suspended,  and 
most  of  the  schools  closed,  until  peace  was  declared  in  June 
1895. 

The  medical  work  is  large  and  successful. 

Chi-ning  Chow,  lying  on  the  Grand  Canal  150 
Chi-ning  Chow  miles  from  Chinan-fu,  is  within  reach  of  5,000,- 

000  people,  among  whom  no  other  Protestant 
church  is  working.  Rev.  Wm.  Lane  and  Dr.  S.  A.  Hunter 
were  sent  here  in  1890,  but  were  driven  out  almost  imme- 
diately by  mob  violence,  barely  escaping  with  their  lives. 
After  a  year's  delay  satisfaction  was  secured  from  the 
government,  with  full  promise  of  protection  for  the  future. 
Rev.  J.  H.  Laughlin  and  Rev.  Mr.  Lane,  with  their  wives 
and  Miss  Emma  Anderson,  were  kindly  received  in  1892, 


56  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

and  further  reinforcements  were  sent  the  next  year.  All 
branches  of  work  were  at  once  established,  and  carried  on 
throughout  the  war,  with  little  disturbance.  The  people 
show  unusual  readiness  to  receive  the  truth.  There  are  two 
hospitals.  That  for  women  was  founded  by  the  First  Pres- 
byterian Church  of  Utica,  N.  Y.,  in  memory  of  their  pastor's 
wife,  Mrs.  Rose  Bachman.  The  medical  work  has  met  with 
marked  success. 

Central  China  Mission. 

This  oldest  mission  of  our  Board  in  China  occupies  five 
stations;  Ningpo,  Shanghai,  Hangchow,  Soochow  and 
Nanking.  Connected  with  these  are  over  thirty  out-stations, 
where  native  preachers  are  working,  and  about  the  same 
number  of  preaching  places,  visited  more  or  less  regularly. 
These  stations  cover  the  most  densely  populated  region  in 
the  world,  containing  35,000,000  people  on  40,000  square 
miles  of  territory. 

Ningpo,  one  of  the  five  ports  opened  in  1842,  is 
Ningpo  located  on  the  Ningpo  river,  twelve  miles  from 

the  sea,  and  contains,  with  its  suburbs,  a  popu- 
lation of  three  hundred  thousand.  The  beautiful  and  fertile 
plain  stretching  to  the  west  and  south  of  the  city,  intersected 
with  canals,  has  been  called  "the  very  garden  of  China." 

Our  pioneer  missionary  in  Ningpo  was  D.  B.  McCartee, 
M.D.,  who  arrived  June  21,  1844,  and  before  the  close  of 
that  year  opened  a  dispensary  in  a  large  Taoist  temple.  He 
was  joined  within  a  few  months  by  the  Rev.  Messrs.  R.  Q. 
Way,  M.  S.  Culbertson,  A.  W.  I^oomis,  and  their  wives,  and 
Rev.  W.  M.  Lowrie.  The  first  Chinese  convert,  Hung 
Apoo,  was  baptized  early  in  1845,  and  on  the  i8th  of  May 
in  the  same  year  a  church  was  organized.  The  chapel  ser- 
vice was  conducted  at  first  by  Dr.  McCartee,  as  he  could 
speak  the  Ningpo  dialect  more  fluently  than  his  colleagues. 
For  the  early  history  of  the  Ningpo  mission,  see  The  Foreigji 
Missionary,  March  and  June,  1884.  If  the  limits  of  this 
brief  sketch  permitted,  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  recount  the 
labors  of  all  who  gave  themselves  to  the  mission  in  its  early 
days.  One  of  these  was  the  Rev.  Wm.  T.  Morrison,  who, 
at  the  out-stations  Yu-Yiao  and  San-Poh,  and  afterwards  in 
the  boys'  school,  and  as  a  teacher  of  a  class  in  Theology, 
proved  himself  a  devoted  and  self-sacrificing  missionary. 


rriK  iiissioxs  ix  china.  57 

There  are  now  ten  churches  connected  with  this  station, 
with  nineteen  regular  preaching  places.  The  field  covered 
by  the  Ningpo  station,  200  miles  long  and  from  20  to  100 
miles  wide,  embraces  a  population  of  several  millions. 

A  girls'  boarding-school,  opened  in  1846,  now  numbers 
forty-eight  pupils.  The  girls  are  taught  the  common  duties 
of  house-keeping  with  their  other  studies,  and  much  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  religious  instruction.  With  few  exceptions, 
the  pupils  have  been  converted  and  received  into  the  church 
while  members  of  the  school.  They  have  become  wives  of 
native  preachers  or  teachers,  or  have  themselves  engaged  in 
teaching. 

Industrial  Classes  for  heathen  women  form  an  interesting 
feature  of  the  work  here,  and  have  been  very  successful  in 
winning  poor  women  to  a  new  life.  The  beginning  of  this 
effort  was  by  Mrs.  \V.  T.  Morrison  in  1861.  Five  Bible- 
women  are  constantly  at  work  in  the  city  and  the  surround- 
ing villages. 

The  Presbyterial  Academy,  opened  February  i,  1881,  is 
designed  for  the  sons  of  native  Christians,  and  is  almost 
wholly  supported  by  the  native  churches.  The  Presbytery 
of  Ningpo  appoints  the  Committee  of  Directors,  consisting 
of  one  foreign  missionary  and  two  native  ministers. 

The  Boys'  Boarding-vSchool,  organized  early  in  the  history 
of  the  Mission,  was  in  1877  removed  to  Hangchow.  Day- 
schools  for  boys  and  girls  are  carried  on,  taught  by  graduates 
from  the  boarding-schools. 

Shanghai,  "the  Liverpool  of  China,"  in  the 
Shanghai  province   of    Kiang-su,  is   a    city    of    500,000 

inhabitants  [including  suburbs] .  Its  European 
population  numbers  4,000.  Rev.  Messrs.  M.  S.  Culbertson 
and  J.  K.  Wight,  with  their  wives,  were  transferred  from 
Ningpo,  and  began  to  labor  here  in  July,  1850.  The  first 
convert  was  baptized  in  1859,  and  a  native  church  organized 
in  i860. 

Three  localities  are  now  occupied  in  this  city — the  oldest, 
within  the  English  concession  and  centering  around  the 
Mission  Press;  the  second,  outside  of  the  vSouth  Gate;  the 
third,  within  the  American  concession,  4^-  miles  from  the 
Press,  in  the  district  called  Hongkew.  In  the  first  or  Press 
station,  there  is  a  self-supporting  church,  called  the  Lowrie 
Memorial,  with  an  excellent  Chinese  pastor.  They  have 
recently  erected  a  fine  new  building,  and  carry  on  missionary 
work  of  their  own. 
(5) 


58  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

The  South  Gate  church  is  in  the  midst  of  a  thickly  set- 
tled district,  where  no  other  mission  is  working.  Much  of 
the  work  is  done  through  the  Chinese  helpers.  The  Hong- 
kew  church  pays  about  half  of  its  pastor's  salary.  These 
three  churches  have  over  200  members,  about  half  of  whom 
were  educated  in  our  own  schools. 

The  Christian  Endeavor  movement  has  been  of  great  help 
to  the  churches  in  China,  and  especially  in  Shanghai.  The 
first  Convention,  held  here  in  1894,  represented  thirty-eight 
societies,  with  about  1000  members,  and  the  meetings  were 
large  and  profitable. 

The  Lowrie  High  School  for  boys  has  fifty  boarders,  and 
is  partially  self-supporting.  A  large  girls'  boarding-school 
receives  mostly  the  children  of  Christian  parents,  and  gives 
industrial  as  well  as  literary  training.  Several  day-schools 
are  carried  on. 

The  Mission  Press,  located  in  Shanghai,  is  a  powerful 
agency  for  good  throughout  the  empire.  Its  history,  in  brief, 
is  as  follows: 

In  February,  1844,  Mr.  Richard  Cole  arrived  at  Macao 
with  an  outfit,  accompanied  by  a  young  Chinaman,  who  in 
America  had  learned  something  of  the  printer's  trade.  The 
first  work  undertaken  was  an  edition  of  the  Epistle  to  the 
Ephesians;  this  was  followed  by  an  edition  of  the  Gospel 
of  Euke.  In  June,  1845,  Mr.  Cole  removed  the  press  to 
Ningpo. 

The  use  of  separate  characters  instead  of  cut  blocks  was 
begun  in  1856.  A  Frenchman  had  conceived  the  idea  of 
separating  the  complex  Chinese  character  into  its  simple 
elements,  so  that  a  few  elemental  types  might  be  variously 
combined  to  form  many  different  characters.  "When  the 
sum  of  $15,000  was  needed  to  secure  the  manufacture  of 
matrices  for  the  type.  King  Louis  Philippe  and  the  British 
Museum  gave  $5,000  each,  and  the  remaining  $5,000  was 
contributed  by  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 
After  this  step  in  advance  was  taken,  a  type-foundrj^  and 
electrotyping  department  were  added  to  the  institution.  As 
Shanghai  was  thought  to  possess  superior  advantages  as  a 
commercial  centre,  the  press  was  removed  to  that  place  in 
December,  i860. 

In  1875  the  premises  were  sold  and  more  suitable  proper- 
ty, in  a  central  location,  was  purchased.  The  press  is  now 
thoroughly  provided  with  every  facility  for  printing  the 
sacred   Scriptures   and   Christian   books.       It  comprises    a 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA,  59 

printing-ofl5ce,  a  type-foundry,  electrotyping  and  stereo- 
typing-rooms,  and  a  book-bindery.  It  has  furnished  fonts 
of  type  for  the  missions  in  Peking,  Foochow  and  Korea,  as 
well  as  for  the  German  Imperial  Printing  House  in  Berlin. 
With  eight  presses  constantly  running,  and  about  eighty  men 
employed,  it  is  believed  to  be  the  largest  establishment  of  its 
kind  in  Asia.  About  forty  million  pages  are  printed  every 
year.  In  1872  a  Japanese-English  dictionary  by  S.  Hori 
was  issued  ;  also  the  revised  edition  of  Dr.  J.  C.  Hepburn's 
dictionary  ;  in  1873  an  electrotyped  edition  of  Dr.  S.  Wells 
Williams'  Chinese-English  dictionary. 

For  many  years  the  press  has  not  only  paid  its  way,  but 
brought  a  yearly  surplus  of  from  $3,000  to  $8,000  into  the 
treasury. 

About  half  the  workmen  employed  are  Christians. 
"  Every  morning  the  workmen  gather  in  a  chapel  at  the 
rear  of  the  main-building,  where  a  native  teacher  reads 
from  the  Scriptures  and  leads  in  singing  and  prayer." 

As  one  influence  of  the  press,  the  Chinese  are  beginning 
to  throw  aside  their  cumbrous  system  of  block  printing  and 
to  adopt  our  methods. 

By  means  of  the  press  it  has  been  possible  to  circulate  a 
Christian  literature.  Besides  various  editions  of  the  Scrip- 
tures and  Christian  tracts,  there  have  been  published  com- 
mentaries, works  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity,  and  books 
giving  instruction  in  all  the  Christian  graces  and  virtues. 
Scientific  books  have  been  published,  and  a  large  amount  of 
work  done  for  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  the 
Chinese  Religious  Tract  Society  and  the  North  China  Tract 
Society. 

Of  the  Chinese  periodicals  printed  here  the  most  import- 
ant are  the  Chinese  Illustrated  Netcs,  the  Child's  Paper,  the 
Missionary  Review,  and  Review  of  the  Times.  These  and 
the  other  publications  are  circulated  not  only  in  China,  but 
wherever  Chinese  emigrants  have  gone. 

In  1S95  a  superb  copy  of  the  New  Testament  was  printed, 
beautifully  bound,  and  enclosed  in  a  silver  casket,  for 
presentation  to  the  Dowager  Empress  on  her  sixtieth  birth- 
day, by  the  Christian  women  of  China.  The  entire  cost 
was  $1,200,  and  the  givers  numbered  nearly  11,000. 

Soochow,   "  the  Paris  of  China,"  is  a  city  of 
Soochow  500,000  inhabitants,  70  miles  from   Shanghai. 

It  is  the  centre  of  an  immense  population. 

Mr.  Charles  Schmidt,  a  European,  was  in  the  employ  of 


6o  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    •¥ 

the  Chinese  government  during  the  Taiping  Rebellion. 
After  its  close  he  engaged  in  business,  but  was  unsuccessful . 
In  conversation  with  Rev.  David  D.  Green,  he  said  he  had 
been  unfortunate  in  business  because  of  the  hard  times,  when 
Mr.  Green  asked  if  he  did  not  think  God  had  something  to 
do  with  it.  The  words  brought  him  silently  to  acknowledge 
God,  and  prepared  the  way  for  his  conversion.  He  had 
married  a  Chinese  wife,  and  both  became  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Shanghai.  Supported  in  part  by 
his  own  means,  he  undertook  evangelistic  work  in  Soochow 
in  1868.  Rev.  and  Mrs.  George  F.  Fitch  came  to  his  assist- 
ance, and  in  187 1  amission  station  was  formally  established. 
Rev.   W.  S.  Holt  and  wife  arrived  in  1873. 

Two  churches  and  several  street  chapels  are  the  centres 
of  work  in  the  city.  With  great  difficulty  property  was 
bought  for  a  missionary  residence  in  Lion  Mountain,  an  out- 
station  from  which  itinerating  tours  are  constantl}^  made. 

A  boys'  boarding-school,  opened  in  1893  has  43  pupils. 
Of  their  own  motive,  the  boys  have  formed  a  Mission 
Band,  to  support  a  Chinese  worker.  Eight  day-schools  are 
carried  on,  with  104  pupils. 

There  "has  always  been  a  strong  anti -foreign  feeling  in 
Soochow,  which  was  intensified  by  the  excitement  of  the 
war  with  Japan  and  the  humiliating  peace  in  1895.  This 
has  retarded  the  work  to  some  extent. 

Hangchow,  the  provincial  capital  of  Chekiang, 
Hangchow  is  156  miles  northwest  of  Ningpo.  It  has  a 
population  of  500,000,  and  is  a  stronghold  of 
idolatry.  Around  this  city  is  a  population  of  1,500,000, 
and  no  other  missionaries  are  working  among  them.  It  was 
occupied  as  a  station  in  1859  by  Rev.  J.  L.  Nevius,  but  as 
the  treaty  did  not  then  allow  residence  in  the  interior,  he  was 
not  able  to  remain.  Two  native  churches  were,  however, 
the  result  of  his  sojourn  here. 

In  1865  mission  work  was  permanently  established  by 
Rev.  D.  D.  Green,  who  was  soon  joined  by  Rev.  S.  Dodd 
and  wife. 

Two  churches,  one  entirely  self-supporting,  and  two 
chapels,  are  cared  for  by  native  pastors,  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  mission. 

The  Boys'  High  School  has  53  pupils,  with  a  course  of 
study  covering  ten  years.  The  excellent  scientific  training 
given  attracts  much  attention  from  the  educated  classes. 
Three  day-schools  for  boys  and  one  for   girls  have  been 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  6 1 

opened.     There  is  a  Y.   M.  C.  A.  which  does  much   good 
and  maintains  a  library  and  reading-room. 

Ten  out-stations  are  connected  with  Hangchow,  giving 
unlimited  opportunity  for  evangelistic  work. 

Nanking,  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles 
Nanking  northwest  of  Shanghai,  on  the  Yang-tse  Kiang, 

was  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1876  by 
Rev.  Albert  Whiting  and  Rev.  Charles  Leaman,  after  a  long 
struggle  with  the  mandarins,  who  endeavored  to  interpret 
the  treaty  in  such  a  manner  as  to  exclude  missionaries.  Mr. 
Whiting  sacrificed  his  life  in  1878  while  engaged  in  relieving 
the  famine  sufferers  in  Shensi  province. 

Five  years  elapsed  before  land  could  be  obtained  suitable 
for  the  mission  buildings,  owing  to  the  prejudice  against 
foreigners,  which  is  exceedingly  strong  in  Nanking.  During 
1892,  when  so  many  riotous  outbreaks  occurred,  the  mission- 
aries were  obliged  to  leave  the  city  and  close  the  schools  for 
a  time.  But  the  people  were  quiet  and  friendly  all  through 
the  war  with  Japan,  and  a  remarkable  proclamation  issued 
by  the  Prefect  of  Nanking  after  the  Sz-chuen  riots  declared 
that  "the  missionaries  all  are  really  good,  and  are  working 
to  save  and  help  the  poor.  All  villains  creating  disturbance 
will  be  severely  punished." 

A  church  organized  in  1893  has  100  members.  There 
are  three  street  chapels,  where  two  elderly  Chinese  merchants 
are  most  useful  in  preaching  and  witnessing  for  Christ. 
Three  out-stations  are  maintained. 

The  girls'  school,  opened  by  Mrs.  Leaman  in  1885,  has 
had  rich  spiritual  blessing.  There  are  28  boarders,  all  of 
whom  rejoice  in  unbound  feet.  The  boys'  boarding-school 
begun  in  1889  by  the  late  Rev.  R.  E.  Abbey,  has  about  30 
pupils.  There  is  a  training- class  for  Bible-women,  and  5 
day-schools. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  mandarin  dialect  spoken  in 
Nanking  is  understood  by  one  hundred  millions  of  people, 
the  educational  work  done  here  is  likely  to  have  influence 
far  beyond  the  limits  of  this  one  city. 

The  Obstacles. 

Those  most  often  referred  to  by  our  missionaries  may  be 
briefly  stated  as  follows  : 

( I )  Ancestral  worship.  The  Chinese  look  upon  this  as 
one  of  the  requirements  of  filial  piety.  According  to  Rev. 
John  Butler,    it  is  the  greatest  obstacle.      * '  It  has  entered 


62  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

into  the  very  bones  and  marrow  of  the  people.  It  is  re- 
markably suited  to  corrupt  human  nature.  Free  from  gross 
and  vulgar  rites,  sanctioned  by  Confucius,  it  wields  a  power 
it  is  impossible  to  compute. ' ' 

(2)  The  lack  of  suitable  words  in  the  language  to  ex- 
press religious  ideas.  Many  of  the  words  that  must  be 
employed  have  heathen  associations  connected  with  them, 
and  are  to  a  great  extent  misleading. 

(3)  Society  is  not  adjusted  to  the  observance  of  the 
Sabbath.  Many  possible  converts  stumble  at  this  require- 
ment, and  advance  no  further.  The  case  is  said  to  be  much 
the  same  as  if  a  clerk  in  one  of  our  cities  should  be  absent 
from  his  work  every  Wednesday.  He  would  expect  to  lose 
his  position. 

(4)  The  pride  and  self-sufficiency  of  the  Chinese.  A 
firm  belief  in  the  superiority  of  their  own  institutions. 

(5)  The  fact  that  Christianity  is  a  foreign  doctrine,  and 
is  presented  by  foreigners. 

(6)  The  degrading  superstitions  of  the  people. 

(7)  The  non-Christian  conduct  of  foreigners  residing  in 
China. 

(8)  The  treatment  of  the  Chinese  by  foreign  nations: 
(a)  They  have  been  persecuted  in  the  United  States;  (d) 
Opium  has  been  forced  upon  them  by  England,  a  professedly 
Christian  nation.  "Surely  it  is  impossible,"  said  a  China- 
man, "that  men  who  bring  in  this  infatuating  poison  *  *  ^ 
can  either  wish  me  well  or  do  me  good." 

(9)  The  degrading  and  demoralizing  effects  of  the  use 
of  opium. 

(10)  A  national  contempt  for  the  education  of  women. 

(11)  The  inhuman  custom  of  foot-binding,  which  Chris- 
tianity cannot  tolerate.  Chinese  mothers  would  rather 
secure  small  feet  for  their  daughters  than  allow  them  to  en- 
joy the  benefits  of  a  Christian  education. 

Encouragements. 

Among  the  encouragements  may  be  mentioned  the  fol- 
lowing ; 

(i)  The  religions  of  China  do  not  appeal  to  the  affec- 
tions, although  Confucianism  makes  a  great  deal  of  the 
worship  of  ancestors.  At  heart  the  people  care  little  for 
their  idols.  They  need  Christianity,  though  few  of  them 
seem  to  desire  it. 

(2)  Prejudice  is  giving  way  as  the  Chinese  learn  more  of 


THlv    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA,  63 

the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  and  the  character  of  the  mission- 
aries. A  most  favorable  impression  has  been  made  upon  the 
minds  of  natives  during  late  famines  by  the  self-denying 
labors  of  missionaries.  A  native,  writing  for  a  Shanghai 
paper,  said  of  this:  "Let  us,  then,  cherish  a  grateful 
admiration  for  the  charity  and  wide  benevolence  of  the 
missionary  whose  sacrifice  of  self  and  love  toward  mankind 
can  be  carried  out  with  earnestness  like  this.  Let  us  ap- 
plaud too  the  mysterious  efficacy  and  activity  of  the  doctrine 
of  Jesus,  of  which  we  have  these  proofs."  Li  Hung  Chang, 
whose  influence  is  probably  greater  than  that  of  any  other 
official  in  China,  gave  similar  testimony  in  the  following 
language :  ' '  The  religion  of  Jesus  must  exert  a  powerful 
influence  on  the  hearts  of  its  followers,  when  it  leads  them 
to  give  even  their  lives  in  endeavoring  to  save  the  people  of 
China." 

(3)  The  large  increase  in  the  number  of  converts  and  the 
fact  that  they  are  in  greater  proportion  from  the  higher  classes. 

(4)  The  character  of  converts  to  the  gospel.  In  answer 
to  the  question.  What  kind  of  Christians  are  found  among 
the  Chinese?  the  testimony  of  those  who  have  studied 
Chinese  life  and  character  may  be  given.  Dr.  Nevius  says : 
"Their  lives  are  often  marked  by  a  beautiful,  unquestioning 
faith.  There  are  few  doubting  Christians :  they  have  not 
yet  reached  the  point  of  skeptical  misgivings.  Their  prayers 
have  often  a  practical  and  childlike  simplicity."  The  testi- 
mony of  another  is  :  "  When  the  religion  of  Christ  really 
gets  hold  of  some  of  them  they  become  wonderfully  trans- 
formed. The  stolid  apathy  is  exchanged  for  an  earnestness 
and  enthusiasm  that  one  hardly  deemed  possible  for  them  ; 
and  they  do  things  that  one  onl)'  looked  for  as  the  result  of 
long  training  in  Christianit5^ "  Dr.  Happer  says  that  some 
of  the  converts  to  the  gospel  in  China  have  witnessed  to  the 
sincerity  of  their  profession  by  enduring  scourgings,  stonings, 
stripes  and  imprisonments  for  the  gospel,  and  in  some  cases 
have  sealed  their  testimony  with  their  blood.  Rev.  W. 
Fleming  Stevenson,  secretary  of  the  Irish  Presbyterian 
mission,  after  a  tour  of  observ^ation  round  the  world,  re- 
ported, ' '  I  have  found  nowhere  in  Christian  lands  men  and 
women  of  a  higher  type  than  I  met  in  China— of  a  finer 
spiritual  experience,  of  a  higher  spiritual  tone  or  a  nobler 
spiritual  life ; "  and  he  adds,  "I  came  away  with  the  con- 
viction that  there  are  in  the  native  churches  in  China  not 
only   the  elements  of    stability,   but  of   that  steadfast  and 


64 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


irresistible  revolution  which  will  carry  over  the  whole  empire 
to  the  new  faith."  Dr.  Williams  says  it  is  not  known  that 
any  member  of  the  Vesit  Kiao  has  ever  been  condemned 
before  the  courts  for  any  crime. 

Chinese  Christians  exhibit  strength  and  nobility  of 
character.  They  love  Christian  work,  and  are  efficient  in 
doing  it.  They  not  only  aim  at  self-support,  but  when  that 
is  attained  are  ready  to  help  send  the  gospel  to  others. 

Christianity  has  gained  entrance  into  China.  Neander, 
in  1850,  said  this  would  be~'"a  great  step  toward  the 
Christianizing  of  our  planet."  More  than  this  one  step  has 
been  taken.  Converts  are  multiplying  ;  prophecy  is  being 
fulfilled.     "  And  these  from  the  land  of  Sinim." 


Statistics,  1897. 


Canton  Mission 
Central 
Hainan         " 
Peking         " 
Shantung,  East. 
West 

Totals 


316 
119  19 

6 
29 

242J12 
112  20 

511I72 


1.651 
1.255 

34 

377 

1,150 

3,523 


7,990 


«     !    mu3 


902      360 

598J    7971   46,300,965 

48 I 

192      301 


831 
16 


687 


60,000 


57,206 


4,4:6 
27,339 
10,218 
49,627 


368712145I  46,360,9651  23  |i48,866 


STATIONS,  1897. 


CANTON    MISSION. 

Canton,  J.  G.  Kerr,  M.D.,  L.L  D.,  and  Mrs.  Kerr,  Rev.  B.  C. 
Henry,  D  D.,  and  Mrs.  Henry,  Rev.  H.  V.  Noyes,  D.D.,  and  Mrs. 
Noyes,  Rev.  A.  A.  Fulton  and  Mrs.  Fulton,  Rev.  Andrew  Beattie  and 
Mrs.  Beattie,  J.  M.  Swan,  M.  D.,  and  Mrs.  Swan,  Rev.  E.  W.  Thwing 
and  Mrs.  Thwing,  Miss  H.  Noyes,  Miss  E.  M.  Butler,  Miss  H.  Lewis, 
Miss  M.  W,  Niles,  M.D.,  MissM.  H.  Fulton,  M.D.,  Miss  Julia  Henry. 

Lien  Chow,  E.  C.  Machle,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Machle,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Lingle  and  Mrs.  Lingle,  Rev.  C.  H.  Kelly  and  Mrs.  Kellv,  Miss  L. 
Tohnston,  Miss  Eleanor  Chestnut,  M.D. 

Yeuno  Kong,  Rev.  G.  W.  Marshall. 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IX    CHINA.  65 

Kang  Hau,  Rev.  C.  VV.  Swan  and  Mrs.  Swan,  C.  E.  Reed,  M.D., 
and  Mrs.  Reed. 

Professor  in  the  Christian  College:  Rev.  J.  J.  Boggs  and  Mrs. 
Boggs. 

CENTR.\L    CHINA    MISSION. 

NiNGPO,  on  the  Niugpo  River,  12  miles  from  the  sea;  occupied  as 
a  mission  station,  1845;  laborers — Rev.  J.  N.  B.  Smith,  l).D.,and  Mrs. 
Smith,  Rev.  J.  E.  Shoemaker  and  Mrs  Shoemaker,  Rev.  E.  B.  Ken- 
nedy, Miss  Annie  R.  Morton,  Miss  Edwiua  Cunningham,  Miss  Lavinia 
M.  Rollestone;  i  ordained  preacher,  9  licentiates,  25  teachers  and 
helpers. 

Shanghai,  on  the  Woosoug  River,  14  miles  from  the  sea;  occu- 
pied as  a  mission  station,  1850;  laborers — Rev.  J.  W.  M.  Fariiham, 
D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Farnham,  Rev.  J.  A.  Silsby  and  Mrs.  Silsbv,  Rev. 
George  E.  Partch  and  Mrs.  Partch,  Rev.  G.  F.  Fitch  and  Mrs.  Fitch, 
Mr.  Gilbert  Mcintosh  and  Mrs.  Mcintosh,  Miss  Mary  Posey.  Miss 
Mary  E.  Cogdil,  Miss  E.  A.  Liudholm,  Miss  Emma  Silver;  3  ordained 
preachers,  2  licentiates,  24  teachers  and  helpers. 

Hangchow,  the  provincial  capital  of  Chekiang  province,  150 
miles  northwest  of  Ningpo;  occupied  as  a  mission  station,  1859;  labor- 
ers—Rev. J.  H.  Judson  and  Mrs.  Judson,  Rev.  J.  C.  Garritt  and  Mrs. 
Garritt,  Rev.  E.  L.  Mattox  and  Mrs.  Mattox,  Mrs.  L.  J.  Doolittle,  Rev. 
J.  C.  Hallock;  5  ordained  preachers,  5  licentiates,  6  teachers  and 
helpers. 

Soochow,  70  miles  from  Shanghai;  occupied  as  amission  station, 
1S71;  laborers — Rev.  J.  N.  Hayes  and  Mrs.  Hayes,  Rev.  D.  N.  Lyon 
and  Mrs.  Lyon,  Rev.  Joseph  Bailie  and  Mrs.  Bailie;  2  licentiates,  16 
teachers  and  other  helpers. 

Nanking,  on  the  Yang-tse-Kiang  River,  90  miles  from  its 
mouth;  occupied  as  a  mission  station,  1876;  laborers — Rev.  Charles 
Leaman  and  Mrs.  Leaman,  Rev.  W.  J.  Drummond  and  Mrs.  Drum- 
mond,  Rev.  J.  W.  Houston  and  Mrs.  Houston,  Rev.  W.  N.  Crozier 
and  Mrs.  Crozier,  Mrs.  L.  S.  Abbey,  Miss  Mary  Lattimore,  Miss  E.  E. 
Dresser,  Miss  A.  L.  Howe;  i  licentiate,  11  teachers  and  other  helpers. 

HAINAN    MISSION, 

Hainan,  an  island  on  the'southeast  coast ;  occupied  1885  ;  estab- 
lished as  a  Mission  1893. 

KiUNG  Chow,  laborers— Rev.  F.  P.  Gilman  and  Mrs  Gilman, 
H.  M.  McCandliss,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  McCandliss,  Rev.  P.  W.  McClin- 
tock  and  Mrs.  McClintock,  Rev.  C.  H.  Newton  and  Mrs.  Newton, 
Miss  Etta  Montgomery  and  Miss  Kate  L.  Schaeffer;  i  licentiate  and  i 
native  helper. 

Nodoa,  laborers — Rev.  J.  C.  Melrose  and  Mrs.  Melrose,  Rev. 
William  J.  Leverett,  E.  D.  Vanderburg,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Vanderburg, 
1  licentiate  and  3  helpers  and  teachers. 

LOKLAH,  opened  as  vStation  1896  ;  laborers — Mr.  C.  C.  Jeremiasscn 
and  Mrs  Jeremiassen. 


66  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


PEKING    MISSION. 


Peking,  the  capital  of  China;  occupied  in  1S63  ;  laborers — Rev. 
John  Wherry,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Wherry,  Rev.  J.  L.  Whiting  and  Mrs. 
Whiting,  Rev  A.  M.  Cunningham  and  Mrs.  Cunningham,  Rev.  C. 
H.  Fenn  and  Mrs.  Fenn,  Dr.  Robert  Col tman,  Jr.,  and  Mrs.  Coltman, 
Miss  Eliza  E.  Leonard,  M.D.,  Miss  Grace  Newton,  Miss  Bessie  McCoy, 
Miss  Jennie  McKillican. 

Paotingfu,  occupied  1893  ;  laborers — Rev.  J.  W.  Lowrie.  Rev. 
J.  A.  Miller  and  Mrs.  Miller,  Rev.  F.  E.  Simcox  and  Mrs.  Simcox,  Dr. 
G.  Yardley  Taylor,  Mrs.  A.  P.  Lowrie,  Dr.  B.  C.  Atterbury  and  Mrs. 
Atterbury. 

EAST    SHANTUNG    MISSION. 

TUNGCHOW,  on  the  coast,  55  miles  northwest  of  Chefoo  ;  occupied 
1861  ;  laborers— Rev.  C.  W.  Mateer,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Mateer,  Rev. 
W.  M.  Hayes  and  Mrs.  Hayes,  W.  F.  Seymour,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Sey- 
mour, Rev.  J.  P.  Irwin  and  Mrs.  Irwin,  Mrs.  A.  T..  Mills,  Miss  A.  M. 
Snodgrass,  Miss  Rebecca  Y.  Miller,  Charles  Lewis,  M.D.,  Rev.  H.  W. 
Luce  and  Mrs.  Luce  ;  i  ordained  native  and  6native  teachers. 

Chefoo,  the  chief  foreign  port  of  Shantung;  occupied  1862;  laborers 
—Rev.  Hunter  Corbett,  D.D.,  andMrs.  Corbett,  Rev.  George  S.  Hayes 
and  Mrs.  Hayes,  Rev.  Paul  D.  Bergen  and  Mrs.  Bergen,  Rev.  George 
Cornwell  and  Mrs.  Cornwell,  Rev.  W.  W.  Elterich  and  Mrs.  Elterich, 
Mrs.  John  L.  Nevius,  i  ordained  native,  39  licentiates,  9  Bible-women. 


WEST   SHANTUNG    MISSION. 

Chinanfu,  capital  of  the  Shantung  Province,  300  miles  south  of 
Peking;  occupied  in  1872  ;  laborers— Rev.  W.  B.  Hamilton  and  Mrs. 
Hamilton,  Rev.  L.J.  Davies  and  Mrs.  Davies,  J.  B.  Neal,  M.D.,  and 
Mrs.  Neal,  Rev.  V.  F.  Partch  and  Mrs.  Partch  ;  18  helpers  and  i  Bible 
woman. 

Wei  Hien,  150  miles  southwest  of  Tungchow  ;  occupied  1882  ; 
laborers— Rev.  R.  M.  Mateer  and  Mrs.  Mateer,  Rev.  F.  H.  Chalfant 
and  Mrs.  Chalfant,  Rev.  J.  A.  Fitch  and  Mrs.  Fitch,  W.  R.  Faries, 
M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Faries,  Miss  Emma  F.Boughton,  Miss  Mary  Brown, 
M.D.,  Miss  Fanny  E.  Wight,  Mrs.  M.  M.  Crossette  ;  20  licentiates,  3 
Bible-women. 

ICHOWFU,  150  miles  southeast  of  Chefoo  ;  occupied  1891  ;  laborers 
—Rev.  W.  P.  Chalfant  and  Mrs.  Chalfant,  Rev.  C.  A.  Killie  and  Mrs. 
Killie,  C.  F.  Johnson,  M.D  ,  and  Mrs.  Johnson,  Miss  A.  M.  Larsen, 
M.D.;  9  native  assistants,  3  Bible-women. 

Chining  Chow,  150  miles  southwest  of  Chinanfu  ;  occupied  1892; 
laborers— Rev.  J.  H.  Laughlin  and  Mrs  Laughlin,  J.  L.  Van  Schoick, 
M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Van  Schoick,  Rev.  R.  H.  Bent  and  Mrs.  Bent,  M.D  , 
Mrs.  Lucy  Lane,  Miss  tCmma  Andersen,  and  Miss  M  J.  Hill,  M.D.; 
18  licentiates,  2  Bible-women. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA. 


67 


Missionaries  in  China,  1838-1897. 

^Died.     t'l'rausferred    from  the  American  Uoard.     Figures,  term  of  Service  in  the 
Field. 


*Abl)ey,  Rev.  Robt.  E., 
Abbev,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  A. 

M.'Whidng,   1873), 
Alleu,  H.  N.,  M.D., 
Allen,  Mrs., 
Anderson,  Miss  S.  J., 

M.D., 
Anderson,  Miss  E., 
Atterbury,  B.  C,  M.D. 
Atterbury,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Mary  Lowrie,  1883), 
Barr,  Miss  M.  E  , 
Bailie,  Rev.  Joseph, 
Bailie,  Mrs.  EffieWor- 

ley,  M.D., 
Baird,  Miss  Margaret, 
Beattie,  Rev.  Andrew, 
Beattie,  Mrs., 
Beattie,  Dr.  D.  A., 
Beattie,  Mrs., 
Bent,  Rev.  R.  H., 
Bent,      Mrs.      (Sarah 

Poindexter,  M.D.,) 
Berry,  Miss  M.  L,., 
Bergen,  Rev.  Paul  D., 
Bergen,  Mrs., 
Bliss,  B.C.,  M.D., 
Boggs,  Rev.  J.  J., 
BofJgs,    Mrs.,    (Bliss, 

RuthC,  M.D.,   '92) 
Boughton,  MissE.  F., 
Brown,  Rev.  Hugh  A., 
Brown,  Mary,  M.D., 
*Butler,  Rev.  John, 
Butler,  Mrs.   (Miss  F. 

E.  Harshburger, 

1875-), 
Butler,  Miss  E.  M., 
*Byers,  Rev.  John, 

Byers,  Mrs., 
*Capp,  Rev.  E.  P., 
*Capp,  Mrs.   (MisS  M. 
J.,  Brown,  1867-) 
Carrow,  F    M  D., 
Carrow,  Mrs.  F., 
Chalfant,  Rev.  W.  P., 
Chalfant,    Mrs    (Miss 

Lulu  Boyd,  1887-), 
Chalfant,  Rev.  F.  H., 
Chalfant,  Mrs., 


1882-1890         Chapin,    Rev.    Oliver 


H., 

1882-1886 

1882 

Chapin,  Mrs., 

I 882- I 886 

I883-IS84 

Chestnut,    Eleanor,  ■ 

I883-IS84 

M  D., 
Coltmau,  Robt.  J. 

1893 

I 87 7- I 880 

(M.D.), 

1885 

1887-1894 

Coltnian,  Mrs., 

1B85 

,  1879 

Cogdal,  Miss  M.  E., 

1890 

Cole,  Mr.  Richard, 

1844-1847 

1890 

Cole.  Mrs.  R., 

1S44-1S47 

1877-1883 

Condit,  Rev.  Ira  M., 

1860-1867 

1891 

*Condit,  Mrs.  Laura, 

1860-1866 

Cooley,  Miss  A.  S., 

1878-1S79 

1890 

Corbett,  Rev.  Hunter 

I 883- I 888 

J-. 

1863 

1889 

*Corbett,  Mrs.  H., 

1864-1873 

1891 

*Corbett,  Mrs., 

1875-1888 

1892-1895 

Corbett,  Mrs., 

1889 

1S92-1S95 

Corn  well,  Rev.  G., 

1892 

1893 

Corn  well,  Mrs., 

1892 

*Coulter,  Mr.  Moses  S., 

,  1 849- 1 85 2 

1894 

Coulter,  Mrs.  C.  E., 

1S49-1854 

1882-1885 

*Crossette,  Rev.  J.  F.,  f 

1870-1879 

1883 

Crossette,  Mrs., 

1870-79-90 

1883 

Crozier,  Rev.  W.  N., 

1891 

1873-1S74 

Crozier,  Mrs., 

1891 

1894 

*Culbertson,Rev.  M  S. 

.  1844-1862 

Culbertson,  Mrs., 

1844-1862 

1895 

Cunningham,  Rev   A. 

1889 

M., 

1890 

1845-1848 

Cunningham,  Mrs., 

1890 

1889 

Cunningham,  Miss  E. 

,  1891 

I 868- I 885 

*Dan forth,  Rev.  Joshua 

A., 

J  859-1863 

*Danforth,  Mrs., 

1859-1861 

1877-1892 

Davies,  Rev.  L.J., 

1892 

1881 

Davies,  Mrs., 

1852 

1852-1853 

Dickey,  Miss  E.  G  , 

1873-1875 

1852-1853 

Dodd,  Rev.  Samuel, 

1861-1875 

1869-1873 

Dodd,  Mrs.  (Miss  S.  L. 

Green), 

1864-1878 

I 870- I 883 

Donaldson,  Henrietta 

1876-1878 

M.D  , 

'  1893-1895 

1876-187S 

*Doolittle,  Rev.  J  . 

1872-1873 

1885 

Doolittle,  Mrs.  L.  J., 

1872-73-94 

Downing,  Miss  C.  B  , 

I 866 -I 880 

1888 

Dresser,  MissE.  E., 

1894 

1887 

Drummond,  Rev.,  W, 

1887 

J.. 

■  1890 

68 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


Drummond,  Mrs., 

(Miss  Law),  1891 

Eckard,  Rev.  L.  W.,     1869-1874 
Eckard,  Mrs.,  1869-1874 

Elterich,  Rev.  W.  O.,  1889 
Elterich,  Mrs  ,  .    1889 

Paries,  W.R.,M.D,,     1889 
Paries,  Mrs.,  1890 

Paris,  Rev.  W.  vS.,  1896 

Paris,  Mrs. ,  1896 

Parnham,  Rev.  J.   M 

W.,  i860 

Parnham,  Mrs.  i860 

Parnham,  Miss  L.  D.,  1882-1885 
Penn,  Rev.  C.  H.,         1893 
Penn,  Mrs  ,  1893 

Pisher,  Rev.  E.  P.,        1895-1897 
Pitch,  Rev.  G.  P.,t        1870 
Pitch,  Mrs.  Mary,  1870 

Pitch,  Rev.  J.  A.,  1889 

Pitch,  Mrs.,  1889 

Folsom,    Rev.  Arthur,  1863-1868 
Polsom,  Mrs.,  1863-1868 

*Prench,  Rev.  John  B.,  1846-1858 
Prench,  Mrs.  Mary  L.,  1851-1858 
Pulton,  Rev.  A.  A.,       1881 
Pulton,  Mrs.,  1884 

Pulton,   Miss  M.   H., 

M.D.,  1884 

Gamble,  Mr.  William,  1858-1869 
Garritt,  Rev.  J.  C,         1889 
Garritt,  Mrs.,  1892 

*Gayley,  Rev.  S.  R.,       1858-1862 
Gavley,  Mrs.,  1858-1862 

Gill,  Rev.  CO.,  1895-1897 

Gill,  Mrs.,  1895-1S97 

Gilman,  Rev.  P.  P.,      18S5 
Gilnian.  Mrs  ,  1885 

*Green,  Rev.  David  D.,  1859-1872 
Green,  Mrs.,  1859-1872 

Groves,  Rev.  S.  B  ,       1891-1895 
Groves,  Mrs.,  1891-1895 

Hallock,Rev.  H.  G.  C.,1896 
Hamilton,  Rev.  W.  B.,  18S8 

*Hamilton,  Mrs.,  1888-18-9 

Hamilton,  Mrs.  (Miss 
Woods),  1893 

*Happer,  Rev.  A.  P.,      1844-1894 

*Happer,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 

B.,  1847-1865 

*Happer,  Mrs.,  1869-1873 

Happer,  Mrs.  (MissH. 

J.  Shaw,  1870-),  1876-1894 

Happer,  Miss  Lucy,       1869-1871 

•*Happer,  Miss  Lily,       1871-1880 


Happer,  Miss  Mary 

M.,  1879-1884 

Happer,  Miss  Alverda,  1880-1888 
Hawes,  Miss  C.  E.,        1896 
Hayes,  Rev.  John  N.,  1882 
Hayes,  Mrs.,  1882 

Hayes,  Rev.Watson  M.1882 
Hayes,  Mrs.,  1882 

Hays,  Rev.  Geo.  S.,      1886-1895 
Hays,  Mrs.  P.  C. ,  1886-1895 

Henry,  Rev.  B.  C,  1873 
Henry,  Mrs.,  1873 

Henry,  Miss  J.  N.,  1896 
Hepburn,  James  C, 

M.D.,  1841-1846 

Hepburn,  Mrs.,  1841 -1846 

Hill,  MissM.  J.,M.D.,i895 
Holt,  Rev.  W.  S.,  1873-1885 

Holt,  Mrs.,  1873-1885 

Houston,  Miss  B.,  1878-1879 

Houston,  Rev.  T.  W. ,  1891 
Houston,  Mrs.,  1891 

Howe,  Miss  A.  L.,  1896 
Hunter,   Rev.   S.  A., 

M.D  ,  1879-1892 

Hunter,  Mrs.,  1879-1892 

*Inslee,  Rev.  Elias  B.,    1857-1861 
*Inslee,  Mrs. ,  1857-1861 

Irwin,  Rev.  J.  P.,  1893 

Irwin,  Mrs.,  1893 

Pjackson,  Rev.  P.  W.,     1892-1895 
Jeremiassen,  C.  C,        1885 
Jereniiassen,Mrs.  (Miss 

Suter),  1891 

Johnston,  Miss  Louise,  1889 
Johnson,  Rev.  C.  P.,  1889 
Johnson,  Mrs.,  1889 

Judson,  Rev.  J.  H.,  1880 
Judsou,  Mrs.,  1880 

Kelsey,  Miss  A.  D.  H., 
M.D.,  1878-1884 

Kennedv,  Rev.  E.  B.,  1894 
Kerr,  J. 'G,  M.D. ,  1854 

*Kerr,  Mrs.,  1854-1855 

*Kerr,  Mrs. ,  1858-1885 

Kerr,  Mrs.  (Miss  M.  E. 

Noyes,  1873-),  1886 

KiUie,  Rev.  C  A.,  1889 
Killie.  Mrs.,  1889 

Langdon,  Rev.  Wm.,    1888-1891 
*Lane,  Rev.  Wm.,  1S89-1896 

Lane,  Mrs.,  1889-1896 

Lane,  Miss  Emma  P.,  1889-1S94 
Larsen,   Anna    M., 

M.D.,  1892 


THE    MLSSIONS    IN    CHINA. 


69 


Laughlin,   Rev.  J. 

*Mcllvaine,  Rev.  J.  S  , 

1 868- 1 88 T 

Hood, 

1881 

*McKee,  Rev   W.  J., 

1 878 -1 894 

*Laujjhliii,  Mrs., 

18S1- 

f884 

McKee,  Mrs.  (Miss  A. 

Laughlin,   Mrs.   (Miss 

P.  Ketchum), 

1876^1894 

Jennie  Anderson, 

McKillican,  Miss  Jen- 

1S78-), 

1886 

nie, 

1888 

Lattimore,  Miss  Mary, 

1888 

Machle,  E.  C,  M.D., 

1889 

Leanian,    Rev.    Chas., 

1874 

Machle,  Mrs., 

1889 

Lcauian,  Mrs.  Lucy  A, 

Marcellus,  Rev.  A., 

I 869- I 870 

(Miss  Crouch, 1873-). 1878 

Marcellus,  Mrs., 

1869-187  ) 

Leonard,   Eliza   E,, 

Marshall,  Rev.  G.  W., 

1895 

M.D., 

1895 

Martin,  Rev.  W.  A.  P., 

I 850- I 869 

Leverett,  Rev.  W.  J., 

1893 

Martin,  Mrs., 

1S50-1869 

Lewis,  Miss  Harriett, 

1883 

Matthewson,  J.  M., 

Lewis,  Charles,  M.D  , 

1896 

M.D., 

1883-1887 

*  Lewis,  i\Irs., 

1896- 

1S97 

Mateer,  Rev.  C.  W., 

1864 

*l,evenberger,  Rev.  J. 

Mateer,  Mrs., 

1864 

A., 

1866- 

1895 

Mateer,  Mr.  J.  L., 

1872-1875 

Leyenberger,  Mrs., 

1866- 

1895 

Mateer,  Rev.  R.  M., 

188 1 

Liudholm,  Miss  E-  A., 

1895 

*Mateer,  Mrs., 

1881-1888 

*Lingle,  Rev.  W.  H., 

1890 

Mateer,    Mrs.   (Miss 

*Lingle,  Mrs., 

1890- 

1893 

Dickson,    M.D., 

Lingle,  Mrs.  (Mrs. 

1SS9-), 

1891 

Ritchie). 

1896 

Mateer,  Mrs.  S.  A., 

1S81-1886 

*Lloyd,  Rev.  John, 

1844- 

1848 

Mateer,  Miss  Lillian  E 

.1881-1882 

Loomis,  Rev.  A.  W,, 

1844- 

1850 

Mattox,  Rev.  E.  L-, 

1893 

Lootnis,  Mrs., 

1844- 

1850 

Mattox,  Mrs., 

1893 

*Lowrie,   Rev.   Walter 

Melrose,  Rev.  J.  C, 

1890 

M.. 

1842- 

1847 

Melrose,  Mrs  , 

1890 

*Lowrie,  Rev.  Reuben, 

1854- 

i860 

Miller,  Rev.  J.  A., 

1893 

Lowrie,    Mrs.   Amelia 

Miller,  Mrs., 

1893 

P.,             1854- i860; 

1883 

Miller,  Miss  R.  Y., 

1893 

Lowrie,  Rev.  J.  Walter 

,1883 

*Mills,  Rev.  C.  R., 

1857-1895 

Luce,  Rev.  H.  W., 

1897 

*Mills,  Mrs., 

1857-1874 

Luce,  Mrs., 

1897 

Mills,  Mrs., 

1884 

Lyon,  Rev.  D.  N., 

1869-81-S6 

Mills,  Rev.  Frank  V., 

1882-1889 

Lyon,  Mrs.,                   1 

[869-8 

1-S6 

Mills,  Mrs., 

1882-1891 

*McBryde,  Rev.  T.  L-, 

1S40- 

1843 

*Mitchell,  Rev.  John  A 

.1838-1858 

McBrvde,  Mrs., 

1840- I 843 

Montgomery, Miss  Ett 

a  1 894 

McCandliss,  H.  M., 

*Morrison,Rev.Wm.T. 

,1860-1869 

M.D., 

1885 

Morrison,  Mrs.  M.  E. 

,  1 860- 1 876 

McCandliss.  Mrs., 

1888 

Morton,  Miss  A.  R., 

1890 

McCartee,  Rev.  D.  B., 

Murray,  Rev.  John, 

1S76-1895 

M.D., 

1844- 

1S73 

Murray,  Mrs  , 

1S76-1895 

McCartee,  Mrs.  Juana, 

, 1852- 

1873 

Murray,  Miss  E., 

1895-1896 

*McChesney,    Rev.  W. 

*Nevius,  Rev.  J.  L., 

1854-1893 

E., 

■  1869- 

1872 

Nevius,  Mrs.  H.  S   C. 

,1854 

McChesney,  Mrs., 

1869- I 87 2 

Neal,  James,  B.,M.D. 

,1883 

McClintock,  Rev.  P. 

Neal,  Mrs., 

1883    . 

w.. 

1892 

Newton,  Miss  Grace, 

1887 

McClintock,  Mrs., 

1892 

Niles, Miss  M.W., M.D 

.1882 

McCoy,  Rev.  D.,t 

1869- 

1891 

Noyes,  Rev.  Henry  V. 

,1866 

McCoy,  Mrs  , 

1869- 

1S91 

*Noyes,  Mrs.CynthiaC, 

.,1866 

Mcintosh,  Mr.  Gilbert 

;,iS9i 

Noyes,  Mrs.  A.  A., 

1876 

Mcintosh,  Mrs., 

1891 

Noyes,  Miss  H., 

1868 

70 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


*Orr,  Rev.  R.  W.,  1S38-1841 

*Orr,  Mrs.,  1838-1841 

Partch,  Rev.  V.  F.,  1888 
Partch,  Mrs.,  1888 

Partch,  Rev.  G.  E.,  1895 
Partch,  Mrs.,  1895 

*Patrick,  Miss  Mary  M.,  1869-187 1 
Patterson,  J.  P.,  M.D.,  1871-1874 
Poindexter,  Sarah  A. , 

M.D.,  1895 

Posey,  Miss  Mary,         188S 

*Preston,  Rev.  C.  F.,  1854-1877 
Preston,  Mrs  ,  1854-1877 

Quarterman,  Rev.  J.W.1846-1857 

^Rankin,  Rev.  Henry V.1S48-1863 
Rankin,  Mrs.  Mary  G.,1848-1864 
Reid,  Rev.  Gilbert.       1882-1894 

s^Ritchie,  Rev.  E.  G.,  1889-1890 
Ritchie,  Mrs  ,  1889 

Ritchie,  Miss  M.  B.,  1893-1894 
Roberts,    Rev.  J.    S., 

1861-65  ;  1874-78 
Roberts,  Mrs.,    1861-65  ;  1874-78 
Rollestone,  Miss  L,.  M.,1894 
Schaeflfer,  Miss  K.  L.,   1S93 
Schniucker,  Miss.  A.  J.1878-1879 
Sellers,  Miss  M.  R.,       1S74-1876 
Seymour,  Dr.  W.  F.,    1894 
Seymour,  Mrs.,  1894 

*Shaw,  Rev.  J.  M.,  1874-1S76 

Shaw,  Mrs.,  1874-1887 

Shoemaker,  Rev.  J.  E.,1894 
Shoemaker,  Mrs.,  1894 

Silsby,  Rev.  J.  A.,  1887 
Silsby,Mrs.,  1887 

Silver,  Miss  Emma,  1895 
Simcox,  Rev.  F.  E.,  1893 
Simcox,  Mrs.,  1893 

Sinclair,    Marion   E., 

M.D.,  1888-1894 

Smith,HoraceR.,M.D.i88i-i884 
Smith,  Mrs.,  1881-1884 

Smith,  Rev.  John  N.B. ,1881 
Smith,    Mrs.,    (Miss 

Strong,  1882)  1885 


Snodgrasp,  Miss  M.  A., 1892 
Speer,  Rev.  William,    1846-1850 

*Speer,  Mrs.  Cornelia,    1846-1847 
Street,  Rev.  A.  E.,        1892-1897 
Stubbert,  J.  E.,  M.D.,   i8Si-i88t 
Swan,  John  M.,  M.D.,  1885 
Swan,  Mrs.,  1885 

Swan,  Rev.  C.  W.,         1884 
Swan,  Mrs.,  M.D.,         1894 
Taylor,  Geo.  Y.,  M.D.,1882 
Terrill,  C.  S.,  M.D.,      1893-1895 
Terrill,  Mrs.,  1893-1895 

Thomson,  Rev  J.  C, 

M.D.,  X881-1894 

Thomson,  Mrs.,  1881-1894 

Tiffany,  Miss  Ida,  1881-1882 

Thwing,  Rev.  E.  W  ,    1892 
Thwing,  Mrs.,  1892 

Thwing,  Miss  G.,  1892-1894 

Van    Schoick,   J.   L,., 

M.D.,  1890 

Van  Schoick,  Mrs.,        1890 
Vanderburg,  E.   D., 

M.D.,  1894 

Vanderburg,  Mrs.,         1894 
Ward,  Miss  Ellen,  1885-1888 

Warner,  Miss  S.  O.,      1878-1890 
Way,  Rev.  R.  Q  ,  1844-1858 

Way,  Mrs.,  1844-1858 

Wherry,  Rev.  John,      1864 
Wherry.  Mrs.,  1864 

*White,Rev.WellingtoniS8i-iS9i 
White,  Mrs.,  1881-1891 

*Whiting,  Rev.  A    M.,  1873-1878 
Whiting,  Rev.  J.  L.,t  1869 
Whiting,  Mrs.,  1869 

Wight,  Rev.  Jos.  K.,    1848— 1857 

*  Wight,  Mrs.,  1848-1857 

Wight,  Miss  Fanny  E.,  1885 
Wisner,  Rev.  O.  F.,      1885-1894 
Wisner,    Mrs.     (Miss 

Sophie  Preston ,  1 887)  1 889- 1 894 
Wisner,  Miss  J.,  1885-1889 

*Young,  Rev.  J.  N  ,        1891-1893 


Books  of  Reference. 

Across  Chryse.     A.  R.  Colquhoun.     2v.     425. 

A  Chinese  Slave  Girl.     Rev.  J.  A.  Davis.     $1.40. 

A  Corner  of  Cathay.     Adele  M.  Fields 

A  Cycle  of  Cathay.     Rev.  W.  A.  P.  Martin. 

Among  the  Mongols.    J.  Gilmour.     2s.  6d. 

Boy  Travelers  in  China  and  Japan,     J.  M.  Knox.     $2.00. 

China.     Archdeacon  Gray.     2  v. 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    CHINA.  7I 

China  Opened.     C.  F.  A.  Giitzlair.     2,  v.     245. 

China  and  the  Chinese.    J.  h.  Nevius.     If.50. 

China  and  the  United  vStates.     Rev.  Wm.  vSpeer. 

Chinese  Bnddhisni.    J.  Edkins.     80  cents. 

Chinese  Characteristics.     Smith 

Confucianism  and  Taoism.     R.  K.  Douglas.     $1.25. 

Days  of  Blessing  in  Inland  China,      is.  6d 

Everyday  Life  in  China.     E.  J.  Dukes.     $1.25. 

Five  Years  in  China.     C.  P.  Bush.     80  cents. 

Handbook  of  Christian  Missions  in  China  (published  in  Shanghai). 

I1.50. 
In  the  Far  East.     Geraldine  Guinness,     fi.50. 
Life  of  John  L.  Nevius.     H.  Nevius. 
Ling  Nam.     Rev.  B.  C.  Henry,  D.D. 

Origin  of  First  Protestant  Mission  to  China.     W.  W.  Moseley,  55. 
Our  Life  in  China.     Helen  S.  C.  Nevius.     I1.50. 
Pagoda  Shadows.     Adele  M.  Fields.     $1.00. 
Religions  of  China.     Rev.  James  Legge.     $2.50. 
Reports  of  Shanghai  Conference.      1S77-1896. 
The  Chinese.     W.  A.  P.  Martin.     $1.75. 
The  Chinese  Classics.     James  Legge.     I3.50. 
The  Cross  and  the  Dragon.     Rev.  B.  C.  Henry.     $2.00. 
The  Land  of  the  Lamas.     \V.  W.  Rockhill. 
The  Middle  Kingdom.     S.  Wells  Williams.     2  v.     I9.00. 
The  Real  Chinaman.     Chester  Holcomb. 
Wanderings  in  China.     C.  F.  Gordon-Cumming.     2  v.     255. 
Western  China.     Rev.  Virgil  Hart. 
When  I  was  a  B03'  in  China.     Yan  Phon  Lee.     60  cents. 


The  Chinese  in  the  United  States. 

"  Four  thousand  years  ago,  on  the  plains  of  Western 
Asia,  three  brothers  parted.  One  went  south,  peopHng 
Africa.  Another  went  westward,  spreading  over  Europe, 
striking  across  the  Atlantic  to  our  continent,  and  has  kept 
pushing  his  waj^  westward  until  now  he  dwells  on  these 
Pacific  shores.  The  other  brother  went  eastward — on  to 
China  and  Japan.  He  has  struck  across  the  Pacific  to  these 
shores,  and  so  here  these  two  brothers  meet,  after  being 
separated  4000  years.  At  first  the}^  did  not  recognize  each 
other  as  brothers — it  had  been  so  long  since  they  met — but 
now  they  are  beginning  to  realize  this  fact.  Here  in  our 
land  these  two  races  meet  and  intermingle — the  newest  and 
the  oldest  nations  of  the  world." 

The  Chinese  began  to  come  to  the  United  States  in  1848. 
They  are  all  from  Kwangtung  province,  and  speak  the  Can- 
tonese dialect.     The  majority  are  young  men,  the  average 


72 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


age  being  about  twenty-five  years.  They  do  not  come  here 
for  permanent  residence.  Retaining  their  own  habits  and 
customs  and  their  love  for  China,  they  do  not  assimilate  with 
Americans,  but  are  strangers  in  a  strange  land.  Their  chiet 
purpose  in  coming  is  to  sell  their  labor  for  money.  Not  only 
do  they  expect  to  return  ;  the  Companies  that  bring  them 
are  bound  by  contract  to  carry  back  their  bodies  if  they  die 
here.  The  average  time  that  they  actually  remain  is  less 
than  five  years.  Coming  from  the  middle  class  of  Chinese 
society,  they  are,  as  a  rule,  peaceable  and  industrious,  while 
many  exhibit  enterprise  and  energy. 

The  Chinese  Restriction  Law  was  passed  by  Congress 
May  6,  1882,  and  amended  July  5,  1884.  In  1888  what  is 
called  the  "Exclusion  Act"  was  passed,  and  since  then 
the  excess  of  departures  over  arrivals  has  been  even  greater 
than  under  the  Restriction  Laws.  Many  of  those  returning 
to  China  have  been  Christian,  converts,  and  have  carried 
with  them  in  their  lives  as  well  as  in  their  hands  the  Gospel 
of  Christ.  But,  under  the  existing  laws,  the  Chinese  popu- 
lation in  the  United  States  is,  of  course,  steadily  decreasing. 
The  first  effort  to  evangelize  these,  our  home 
California  heathen,  was  made  by  the  Presbyterian  Church 

in  1852,  when  Rev.  Wm.  Speer,  D.D.,  who 
had  been  connected  with  the  Canton  mission,  was  commis- 
sioned for  this  work.  A  few  were  found  in  San  Francisco 
who  had  been  instructed  in  mission  schools  in  Canton.  As 
some  of  these  had  renounced  idolatry  before  leaving  home, 
a  church  was  organized  in  1853.  Dr.  Speer,  who  was  com- 
pelled by  ill  health  to  leave  the  mission  in  1857,  was  suc- 
ceeded in  1859  by  Rev.  A.  W.  Loomis,  D.D.,  and  his  wife, 
who  had  been  fifteen  years  in  China.  In  1870  the  mission 
was  strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Ira  M.  Condit,  from 
Canton . 

In  1882,  the  building  911  Stockton  Street,  formerly 
occupied  by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church,  was  purchased 
for  the  mission,  and  on  November  19th  of  that  j^ear,  the 
Chinese  congregation  worshipped  there  for  the  first  time. 

The  Chinese  are  in  every  part  of  California — in  the  towns 
and  in  the  mines,  in  the  country  and  on  the  rivers.  The 
missionaries  and  their  assistants  visit  them  wherever  they  are 
to  be  found,  preaching  on  the  streets  to  large  crowds,  dis- 
tributing the  gospel  and  tracts  in  stores  and  laundries,  in 
camps  and  ranches,  and  from  house  to  house.  Sabbath- 
schoojs   are    organized   where  it  is  possible,    and   evening 


TIIK  CHINESE  MISSIONS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.         73 

schools  sustained.  Y.  M.  C.  Associations  are  also  accom- 
plishing a  good  work  ;  young  men  joining  these  usually  give 
up  idolatry,  even  if  they  do  not  at  once  confess  Christ. 

The  Presbyterian  Board  has  stations  with  church  services 
and  schools  at  San  Francisco,  Sacramento.  San  Jose,  Santa 
Rosa,  Los  Angeles,  Santa  Barbara,  San  Diego,  Oakland, 
Stockton,  San  Rafael  and  Alameda.  The  work  in  all  these 
places  suffers  from  the  changing  character  of  the  Chinese 
population,  but  it  is  nevertheless  steadily  prosecuted,  with  a 
good  degree  of  success.  The  Synod  of  the  Pacific  has  made 
an  appeal  to  the  Board  for  an  increase  in  the  means  of  train- 
ing Chinese  young  men  for  evangelistic  work — stating  that 
within  the  bounds  of  the  Synod  there  are  40,000  Chinese, 
with  only  three  churches  and  fifteen  mission  schools.  They 
believe  that  the  Chinese  themselves,  suitably  trained,  could 
do  more  than  American  missionaries  can  ever  do,  to  reach 
this  multitude  of  their  own  people  scattered  over  the  Pacific 
Coast. 

The  proportion  of  women  among  the  Chinese  in  this 
country  is  estimated  at  about  one  in  thirty.  Many  of  them 
are  brought  here  for  a  base  purpose  Efforts  for  their  rescue 
and  salvation,  made  by  the  Woman's  Missionarj'^  Societies, 
culminated  in  the  foundation  in  1874  of  the  Home  for 
Chinese  women  and  girls.  Here  Chinese  women  who  are 
susceptible  to  kindly  influence  and  desire  to  change  their 
life  are  received.  Many  young  girls  have  been  rescued  from 
present  or  prospective  bondage  by  the  "Humane  Society," 
whose  secretary  obtains  letters  of  guardianship  for  the  Home. 
The  work  of  the  household  is  performed  b}'  the  inmates. 
Two  daily  sessions  of  the  school  are  held,  and  religious 
instruction  is  regularly  given  both  to  those  living  in  the 
Home  and  to  women  gathered  from  outside.  Classes  are 
taught  in  needle-work  ;  and  some  of  the  inmates  by  sewing 
for  Chinese  stores,  earn  a  little  money,  which  is  placed  to 
their  credit  and  expended  in  supplying  their  wardrobe.  By 
this  means  habits  of  industrj'  are  formed,  and  a  feeling  of 
self-respect  is  created. 

There  have  been  over  500  women  and  girls  rescued  by 
this  Home— and  there  are  54  families  with  85  children  born 
in  lawful  wedlock  as  the  results  of  its  work.  Miss  Culbert- 
son,  as  matron,  with  various  assistants,  has  been  largely 
instrumental  in  bringing  about  these  good  results. 

In  San  Francisco  the  Occidental  School  for  boj^s  was 
opened  in  1878,  with  twelve  pupils.  It  has  had  a  fluctuat- 
es) 


74  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

ing  existence,  moving  from  house  to  house  in  the  Chinese 
quarter,  until  in  1895  it  was  established  at  911  Stockton 
Street,  the  headquarters  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  work, 
since  which  time  it  has  been  larger  and  more  satisfactory. 
A  missionary  society  among  the  boys  themselves  has  been 
recently  formed,  their  collections  being  used  for  poor  Chinese 
in  San  Francisco. 

The  lyoomis  Memorial  School  was  started  in  1869,  and 
was  carried  on  for  a  number  of  years  as  a  Union  School, 
but  its  supervision  was  always  held  by  the  Presbyterian  Mis- 
sion. Mrs.  Cole  was  the  beloved  teacher  for  seven  years — 
until  she  went  to  her  reward,  in  1876.  It  has  had  a  varied 
experience,  and  a  succession  of  faithful  teachers.  In  1889, 
Miss  Wisner  took  charge  of  the  school.  Her  knowledge  of 
the  Chinese  language,  and  her  aptitude  for  teaching  worked 
a  great  change  in  the  school.  It  enrolls  45  and  is  most 
successful  in  winning  its  pupils  to  Christ. 

According  to  the  last  report  of  the  work  in  California, 
there  are  now  ' '  public  schools  for  Chinese  children  ;  Christ- 
ian Endeavor  Societies  with  all  that  belongs  to  such  organi- 
zations ;  temperance  societies  among  the  children  ;  mission- 
ary societies  for  men,  women  and  children  ;  and  a  church 
paper,"  Three  organized  churches  are  found;  one  in  San 
Francisco,  one  in  Oakland  and  one  in  Los  Angeles.  A 
circle  of  King's  Daughters  was  organized  in  1893,  being  an 
auxiliary  to  the  first  Chinese  church  in  San  Francisco. 
The  "  Whatsoever  Circle  "  is  composed  of  women,  and  has 
for  its  object  the  developing  them  into  active  church 
workers. 

The  work  among  the  Chinese  in  Oregon  is 
Oregon  conducted  on  the  same  lines  with  that  in  Cali- 

fornia— preaching,  school-work,  prayer-meet- 
ings and  Christian  Endeavor  Societies,  all  appear  in  the 
reports. 

In  New  York  City,  a  Chinese  minister,  the 
New  York  Rev.  Huie  Kin,  is  employed  by  the  Board  to 
conduct  preaching  services  and  a  Sunday- 
school.  In  1897  Mr.  Huie  brought  from  China  thirty  young 
lads  to  be  educated  by  him  in  this  country  entirely  at  their 
parents'  expense.  During  his  stay  in  China  he  baptized  9 
persons  who  had  been  won  to  Christ  by  Christian  Chinese 
who  had  returned  from  this  country.  There  is  a  large  Sun- 
day-school connected  with  the  Chinese  Mission  in  University 
Place,  and  a  day-school  of  33  pupils.     Other  work  is  done 


THE  CHINESE  MISSIONS  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES.         75 

by  Chinese  among  their  countrymen  in  New  York  and 
Brooklyn,  and  liberal  contributions  have  been  made  by  them 
to  different  objects  in  their  nativ^e  land  and  in  this  country. 
Many  Chinese  are  cared  for  also  in  the  Sabbath-schools  of 
Presbyterian  and  other  churches.  When  it  is  possible,  the 
Board  employs  the  services  of  returned  missionaries  in 
preaching  to  the  Chinese  in  their  own  tongue,  wherever 
there  are  any  large  number  of  these  gathered. 

General  Outlook. 

Hostility  to  the  Chinese  is  the  chief  hindrance  to  the  pro- 
gress of  this  good  work.  The  outrages  perpetrated  upon 
them  have  not  only  made  attendance  at  the  evening  schools 
at  times  unsafe  but  they  have  also  embittered  the  minds  of 
some  who  would  otherwise  be  susceptible  to  good  influence. 

Still  a  healthy  growth  is  manifest.  Converts  are  multi- 
plying ;  the  number  of  Christian  homes  is  increasing  ;  young 
men  of  more  than  ordinary  ability  and  promise  are  willing 
to  give  up  profitable  employment  and  engage  in  study  to 
prepare  themselves  for  Christian  work.  There  is  encourage- 
ment also  in  such  statements  as  these  from  Dr.  Condit,  to 
whom,  with  Mrs  Condit,  we  are  indebted  for  much  of  this 
sketch. 

"As  many  of  our  Chinese  Christians  are  returning  home  per- 
manently to  live,  their  hearts  have  been  turning  toward  replanting 
in  China  the  work  which  has  been  done  among  them  here.  The 
Chinese  do  not  leave  their  religion  behind  them  when  they  return 
home.  Rev.  H.  V.  Noyes,  who  has  been  a  missionary  in  Canton 
twenty-five  years,  said,  not  long  ago  : 

'  Nearly  all  the  Chinese  in  the  United  States  come  from  four  dis- 
tricts in  the  Canton  province.  Eighteen  years  ago  there  was  not  a 
Christian  chapel  or  school  in  all  that  region.  Now  there  are  few 
places  in  these  districts  where  there  is  not  a  mission  chapel  within  a 
distance  the  Chinese  easily  walk.  Of  these  chapels  the  Presbyterians 
have  six.  Every  one  of  these  locations  was  obtained  by  the  help  of 
Christians  returned  from  California.  Of  the  thirteen  native  assistants 
who  have  labored  at  these  stations,  six  were  converted  in  California, 
one  in  Australia,  and  one  received  his  first  serious  impressions  from  a 
member  of  the  Chinese  Chiirch  in  California,  on  the  steamer  crossing 
the  Pacific' 

The  Chinese  prove  their  religion  by  their  liberality.  A  few  years 
ago  Christian  Chinamen,  in  this  and  other  places,  contributed  money 
enough  to  build  a  large  Chapel  and  Christian  Home  in  the  San  Ui  dis- 
trict of  the  province  of  Canton.  The  Pieshyterian  Chinese  of  California 
several  years  ago,  gave  $1,500  for  a  new  church  in  the  city  of  Canton, 
and  year  before  last  $3,200  more,  to  be  invested  as  an  endowment  fund 
for  the  support  of  a  minister  in  the  church.  Last  year  they  sent  $2,000 
to  build  a  church  and  school-rooms  in  the  San  Ning  district.     Of  this 


76       HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  CHINESE  MISSIONS  IN  U.  S. 

sum,  one  man  gave  nearly  or  quite  two  months  of  his  wages.  This 
year  they  have  sent  money  to  build  another  small  chapel.  They  have 
regularly  organized  missionary  societies,  which  are  supporting  duly 
appointed  colporteurs  among  their  people  in  China." 

STATIONS,  1897. 

San  Francisco.  Mission  begun  1852  ;  laborers— Rev.  I.  M.  Con- 
dit  and  Mrs.  Condit,  Miss  Maggie  Culbertson  and  Miss  J.  E.  Wisner  ; 
3  teachers  in  English,  i  ordained  native,  3  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Oakland.     Mission  begun  J877  ;  laborers — 2  teachers. 

Portland,  Oregon  ;  laborers— Rev.  W.  S.  Holt  and  Mrs.  Holt, 
and  Mrs.  Clarkson  ;  i  native  helper. 

New  York,  laborers — Rev.  Huie  Kin  and  Mrs.  Hide.  In  Boys' 
School,  Miss  Isabell  C.  Wightman. 

Missionaries  among  the  Chinese  in  America, 

1852-1897. 

*Died.     Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 


Baskin,  Miss  M., 

Kerr,  Mrs., 

1884 

Cable,  Miss  Emma  R., 

.1879 

Kerr,  J.  G.,  M.D., 

1877- 

1878 

Condit,  Rev.  Ira  M., 

1870 

*Kerr,  Mrs., 

1877- 

1878 

Condit,  Mrs.  Samantha 

Loomis,  Rev.  A.  W., 

1859 

D., 

1870 

*L,oomis,  Mrs.  Mary 

Culbertson,  MissM., 

1878 

Ann, 

1859- 

1866 

Cummings,  Miss  S.  M. 

1874- 

1877 

Loomis,  Mrs., 

1875 

^Goodrich,  Miss  S.  U., 

1878- 

1882 

Phillips,  Miss  H.  N., 

1875- 

1877 

Holt,  Rev.  W.  S., 

1885 

Speer,  Rev.  Williams 

1852- 

1857 

Holt,  Mrs., 

1885 

Speer,  Mrs., 

1852- 

1857 

Kerr,  Rev.  A.  J., 

1883 

Wisner,  Miss  J.  E., 

1893 

Books  of  Reference. 

The  Chinese  in  America.     O.  Gibson.     $1.50. 
Chinese  Immigration.     Hon.  G.  F.  Seward.     $2.00. 


India 


Bank  No.ercN.Y 


INDIA.  - 


The  writer  of  this  sketch  cannot  do  his  readers  a  better 
service  than,  as  a  preface  to  anything  he  may  present,  to 
transfer  to  these  pages  from  the  Church  Missioyia^y  Atlas,  a 
recent  English  work  of  great  value,  the  following  compendi- 
ous view  of  India  : 

"The  classical  name  of  India  seems  to  have  been 
anciently  given  to  the  whole  of  that  part  of  Asia  lying  east 
of  the  river  Hind,  or  Sindhu,  or  Indus,  as  far  as  the  con- 
fines of  China,  and  extending  north  as  far  as  the  Mongolian 
steppes.  The  modern  name,  Hindustan,  is  of  Persian 
origin,  and  means  the  place  or  country  of  the  Hindus. 
Sindhu  means  '  black,'  and  was  the  name  given  to  the  river 
Indus  ;  but  it  is  not  clear  whether  the  (black)  people  first 
gave  the  name  to  the  river,  or  the  river  to  the  people. 

' '  To  the  dwellers  in  the  elevated  and  dry  steppes  and 
uplands  of  Arabia,  Persia,  and  Asia  Minor,  such  a  land  of 
magnificent  rivers,  impenetrable  forests,  and  rich  alluvial 
plains,  abounding  in  all  natural  products,  must  have  seemed 
little  short  of  an  Eldorado  ;  and  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  from  the  days  of  Herodotus  downwards  the  land  of 
India  should  have  had  such  an  interest  for  the  natives  of  the 
West.  History,  moreover,  show^s  that  whatever  city  or 
nation  has  been  the  channel  of  connection  between  it  and 
the  western  world,  that  city  or  nation  has  for  the  time  being 
risen  to  opulence  and  power.  From  this  source,  in  pre- 
Christian  times,  Arabia,  Tj^re,  Palmyra,  and  Alexandria 
derived  most  of  their  greatness.  Later  on  we  find  the  same 
enriching  stream  flowing  up  the  Persian  Gulf  to  Baghdad, 
and  afterwards  to  Venice  and  Genoa,  till,  in  1498,  Vasco  da 
Gama's  discover)^  of  a  new  route  to  the  East,  by  way  of  the 
Cape,  diverted  the  trade  into  other  channels,  and  so  caused 
the  Portuguese,  Dutch,  French  and  English  to  come  succes- 
sively to  the  front. 

' '  Of  the  history  of  India  in  the  times  before  the  Chris- 
tian era  we  know  but  little,  and  that  little  is  so  mixed  up 
with  mythological  fable  that  small  reliance  can  be  placed  upon 
it.  All  that  we  know  for  certain  is  that  in  very  early  times 
— probably  about  2,000  years  before  Christ — the  ancestors  of 


8o  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  present  Hindu  people  came  into  India  from  the  north- 
west, and  gradually  overran  the  whole  country;  but  the  first 
invasion  from  the  West  of  which  we  have  anything  like  a 
clear  historical  account  was  that  of  the  Mohammedans,  who, 
in  A.D.  636,  landed  on  the  west  coast  of  India  in  order  to 
plunder  the  town  of  Tanna.  In  the  following  century  they 
appeared  at  Multan,  and  from  a.d.  714  to  750  they  held 
possession  of  Sindh.  For  two  centuries  after  this  India 
enjoyed  immunity  from  their  depredations,  until  the  time  of 
Sabuktegin  and  his  famous  son,  Sultan  Mahmud  of  Ghuzni. 
Between  a.d.  iogi  and  1024  Mahmud  invaded  Hindustan 
no  less  than  twelve  times,  and  inflamed  with  irrepressible 
zeal  for  the  destruction  of  idols,  destroyed  some  of  the  most 
famous  shrines  of  the  Hindus,  giving  up  to  plunder  some  of 
the  principal  seats  of  their  religion.  One  of  Mahmud' s 
successors— Shahab-ud-din  or  Mohammed  Ghori  (a.d.  1157 
to  1196) — succeeded  in  converting  the  chief  Hindu  king- 
doms into  dependencies,  and  these,  in  a.d.  1206,  were 
formed  into  an  independent  kingdom,  of  which  Kutub-ud- 
din,  once  a  slave,  became  the  first  ruler.  The  dynasty  of 
the  slave  kings  lasted  from  a.d.  1206  to  12S8,  when  it  was 
succeeded  by  the  house  of  Khilji,  of  which  the  second  king, 
AUa-ud-din,  may  be  mentioned,  because  he  was  the  first  to 
carry  the  crescent  in  triumph,  in  a.d.  1294,  across  the  Vind- 
hya  mountains  into  the  Deccan,  and  afterwards  into  South 
India.  During  the  rule  of  the  next,  or  Toghlak,  dynasty 
(a.d.  1 32 1  to  1414)  one  of  the  most  memorable  events  was 
the  invasion  of  India  by  Timour  Beg  or  Tamerlane,  and  his 
proclamation  as  emperor  of  India  at  Delhi  on  the  17th  of 
December,  1398.  He  did  not,  however,  remain  himself  in 
India,  but  for  thirty-six  years  (a.d.  1414  to  1450)  some 
Seiads  professed  to  govern  in  his  name.  To  them  succeeded 
the  Lodi  dynasty  (a.d.  1450  to  1526),  and  after  them 
the  Moguls.  The  first  Mogul  emperor,  Baber,  claimed  the 
throne  of  India  in  virtue  of  his  descent  from  Tamerlane, 
but  had  to  make  his  claim  good,  as  others  before  and  since, 
by  the  power  of  the  sword.  During  the  earlier  period  of 
this  dynasty — the  last  representative  of  which  was  put  for- 
ward by  the  mutinous  Sepoys,  in  1857,  as  the  rightful  sover- 
eign of  the  country — India  attained  a  high  degree  of  power 
and  prosperity  ;  but  after  the  death  of  the  Emperor  Aurung- 
zeb,  in  1707,  the  emperors  of  Delhi  became  mere  puppets, 
and  were  unable  either  to  curb  the  ambition  of  powerful 
viceroys,  who   seized  the   opportunity  of   rendering  them- 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  8l 

selves  independent,  or  to  resist  the  growing  power  of  the 
Mahrattas  and  Sikhs  and  other  external  enemies  who  threat- 
ened the  empire.  Thus,  in  1739,  Nadir  Shah,  the  king  of 
Persia,  captured  Delhi,  which  was  then  given  up  to  carnage 
and  plunder  ;  and  in  1758  Ahmed  Shah  Abdali,  the  Afghan 
king,  subjected  to  the  same  cruel  treatment  the  inhabitants 
of  the  Mogul  capital.  This  state  of  general  anarchy  and 
disorder  was  at  last  happily  terminated  by  the  establishment 
of  the  British  supremacy,  under  whose  rule  the  people  of 
India  have  enjoyed  complete  civil  and  religious  liberty,  and 
have  attained  a  greater  degree  of  order  and  security  than 
they  had  ever  previously  known." 

Looking  at  India  from  a  geographical  standpoint  we  find 
it  to  be  a  great  peninsula  comprising  a  territory  about  half 
as  large  as  the  United  States  of  America,  excluding  Alaska. 
It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  the  Himalaya  mountains — 
though  including  a  large  portion  of  these  mountains  within 
its  borders — on  the  east  by  Burmah':=  and  the  Bay  of  Bengal, 
on  the  west  by  Afghanistan,  Beloochistan  and  the  Arabian 
Sea  ;  on  the  south  is  the  Indian  Ocean. 

We  may  perhaps  best  think  of  India  as  a  vast  system  of 
plains.  In  the  north  we  have  the  great  plain  of  the  Ganges, 
corresponding  to  our  own  great  Mississippi  valley.  On  the 
west  there  is  a  similar  plain  of  the  Indus,  includin,^  the  regions 
watered  by  the  five  great  rivers  of  the  Panjab.  Going 
south  from  the  Himalaya  mountains,  at  the  foot  of  which 
lies  the  Ganges  valley  nowhere  more  than  500  feet  above 
the  sea.  we  gradually  ascend  toward  the  Vindhya  range  of 
mountains  running  east  and  west.  Here  we  find  ourselves 
about  4,000  feet  above  the  sea  and  stretching  southward  is 
the  great  plain  of  the  table  land  called  the  Deccan.  Going 
east,  west  and  south  we  descend  the  Ghats  or  mountain 
steps  toward  the  sea,  along  the  shore  of  which  we  have  a 
narrow  plain  skirting  the  entire  peninsula. 

The  greater  part  of  this  country  possesses  a  soil  of  great 
fertility,  particularly  the  immense  plains  watered  by  the 
Ganges  and  its  tributaries,  embracing  perhaps  400,000 
square  miles.  These  plains,  for  the  most  part  of  extremely 
rich,  loamy  and  alluvial  soil,  are  amongst  the  most  fertile 
and  densely-inhabited  regions  of  the  earth.  The  climate 
during  most  of  the  year  is  extremely  warm.  For  a  few 
months,  beginning  about  the  first  of  April,  the  heat  is  intense. 

•  Burmah  may  now  be  included  within  the  Indian  Empire,  bnt  like  the  Island 
of  Ce}I(..n,  it  is  not  included  in  the  region  described  here. 


82  HISTORICAL  SKETCH    OF 

The  thermometer  during  the  months  of  May  and  June  ranges 
from  iio°  to  120°  in  the  shade,  and  from  150°  to  170°  in 
the  sun's  rays.  The  great  heat  is  modified  by  the  setting  in 
of  the  periodical  rains.  ^  These  generally  begin  about  the 
middle  of  June  and  continue  for  three  or  three  and  a  half 
months.  The  rainy  is  succeeded  by  the  cold  season,  covering 
a  period  of  four  or  five  months.  Perhaps  no  more  delightful 
climate  can  be  found  in  any  part  of  the  world  than  that 
enjoyed  by  the  residents  in  northern  India  during  this  season 
of  the  year. 

The  area  within  the  boundaries  indicated  above  covers 
1,417,547  square  miles.  The  population,  including  that  of 
Burmah,  in  1891,  numbered  287,223,431,  being  about  one- 
fifth  the  inhabitants  of  the  world.  A  considerable  portion 
of  this  area  and  population  is  included  in  the  native  states, 
which  are  under  the  rule  of  native  princes  and  noblemen. 
_  ,          In  order  to  any  right  understanding  of  India, 

Languages  ^^  ^^  important  to  keep  in  mind  the  fact  that  it 
is  not  inhabited  by  a  homogeneous  people, 
having  one  language  and  one  religion.  On  the  contrary, 
we  find  there  a  variety  of  races  and  religions,  with  but  little  if 
anything  in  common,  and  languages  as  distinct  as  those 
spoken  on  the  continent  of  Europe.  In  the  lapse  of  time, 
however,  the  distinctive  character  of  the  several  races  has 
been  greatly  modified  by  their  admixture  through  intermar- 
riage. The  main  divisions  from  which  all  have  sprung  may 
be  classed  in  three  groups — the  Aryan  or  Indo-European, 
the  Semitic  and  the  non- Aryan. 

It  is  ascertained  that  there  are  not  less  than  ninety-eight 
languages  current  in  India,  besides  various  dialects.*  Of 
the  languages,  some  are  spoken  by,  it  may  be,  only  a  few 
thousands  of  people;  others  are  used  by  millions.  Of  these 
latter  the  following  may  be  specified:  Of  Panjabi-speaking 
people  the  estimated  population  in  187 1  was  16,000,000;  of 
those  speaking  Hindi,  100,000,000;  Bengali,  36,000,000; 
Marathi,  15,000,000;  Tamil,  14,500,000;  Telugu,  15,500,000; 
Kanarese,  9,250,000;  Gujrati,  7,000,000.  The  first  four 
languages  named  are  found  in  the  Aryan  or  Indo-European 
group,  and  it  is  among  three  families  of  this  group — the 
Panjabi,  Hindi  and  Marathi — that  the  mission  work  in  India 
conducted  by  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church  in  the  United  States  of  America  is  principally 
carried  on. 

*R.  N.  Cust,  Esq.,  in  his  work  in  India's  languages  says  there  are  531  lan- 
guages and  dialects  current  in  India. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  83 

In  addition  to  these  languages  there  is  the  Urdu  or  Hin- 
dustani language,  which  is  a  kind  of  lingua  franca  for  all 
India.  It  arose  with  the  Moslem  Conquest  of  the  country 
and  is  spoken  by  Moslems  throughout  the  country.  Of  this 
class  there  are  many  millions  dependent  upon  the  Mission- 
aries of  our  Board  for  their  acquaintance  with  gospel  truth. 
It  is  estimated  that  100,000,000  of  the  people  in  India  under- 
stand the  Hindustani  language.  This  fact  is  exceedingly 
important  in  the  light  of  missionary  endeavor. 

Religious  History  of  India. 

The  following  brief  account  of  the  various  religions  of 
India  is  taken  from  A  Pictorial  Tonr  Around  India  by  Dr. 
John  Murdoch,  of  Madras  : 

Aboriginal  Cults.— The  earliest  inhabitants  of  India  are  supposed 
to  have  belonged  to  the  great  Turanian  family,  which  overspread  a 
large  portion  of  Asia  and  part  of  Europe  before  the  Aryan  immigra- 
tions. Demon  worship  appears  to  have  been  the  prevailing  supersti- 
tion among  the  aborigines  of  India.  The  evil  spirits  were  propitiated 
by  bloody  sacrifices  and  frantic  dances.  Such  ceremonies  are  still 
common  among  the  Tamils  of  Southern  India.  Some  of  the  principal 
demons  were  probably  afterwards  considered  as  deities,  and  were  wor- 
shipped in  the  districts  around.  Mhasoba,  represented  by  a  round 
stone,  tipped  with  red  lead,  worshipped  by  cultivators  in  the  Dekkan, 
may  be  mentioned  as  an  instance. 

Vedic  Hinduism.— The  next  settlers  in  India  were  the  Aryans, 
probably  from  the  highlands  of  Central  Asia.  Their  religion  was  the 
earliest  form  of  polvtheism— the  worship  of  the  heavenly  bodies. 
Men  saw  that  they  were  of  much  use,  and  adored  them  instead  of 
their  great  Creator.  Afterwards  anything  useful,  such  as  fire,  water, 
and  air,  were  worshipped. 

The  religion  of  the  first  Aryan  settlers  can  be  ascertained  from 
the  hymns  of  the  Rig  Veda.  They  were  composed  at  different  periods; 
but  were  probably  collected  at  about  1000  B.C.  Indra  is  gener- 
ally regarded  as  the  principal  of  the  Vedic  gods.  More  hymns  are 
addressed  to  him  than  to  any  other  deity.  He  is  the  lord  of  the  firm- 
ament, the  wielder  of  the  lightnings,  who  pierces  the  clouds  with  his 
thunderbolts,  and  compels  them  to  discharge  their  fertilizing  showers 
on  the  earth.  Agni,  the  god  of  fire,  the  conveyor  to  the  other  gods  of 
all  sacrifices,  ranks  next  in  importance.  Varuna,  the  god  of  the  en- 
circling heavens,  Surya  the  Sun,  Ushas  the  Dawn,  Chandra  the 
Moon,  are  other  deities.  Thirtv-three  gods  and  goddesses  are  enumer- 
ated Their  relationship  is  not  settled.  The  god  who  in  one  hymn  is 
the  father,  is  in  another  the  son  ;  the  same  goddess  is  sometimes  the 
mother,  sometimes  the  wife.  The  chief  religious  services  consisted  in 
keeping  alive  the  sacred  fire,  and  in  offering  the  intoxicating  juice  of 
the  soma-plant,  which  the  gods  were  invited  to  quaff  like  thirsty  stags. 
The  following  extract  gives  au  idea  of  most  of  the  prayers  presented  : 
"Rejoice,  Indra!  open  thy  jaws,  set  wide  thy  throat,  be  pleased 
with  our  cflferings  ! 


84  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

"  Drinker  of  the  soma  juice,  wielder  of  the  thunderbolt,  bestow 
upon  us  abundance  of  cows  with  projecting  jaws." 

In  a  few  hymns  to  Varuna,  sin  is  acknowledged  . — 

"Whenever  we  men,  O  Varuna,  commit  an  offence  before  the 

heavenly  host ;  whenever  we  break  thy  law  through  thoughtlessness  ; 

have  mercy.  Almighty,  have  mercy  !" 

The  Vedas  are  little  known  in  India.  Most  Hindus  have  the  idea 
that  they  came,  in  a  complete  form,  from  the  four  mouths  of  Brahma. 
But  many  of  the  hymns  bear  the  names  of  their  human  authors.  The 
writers  ask  the  assistance  of  the  gods  in  composing  them,  just  as 
Hindu  poets  do  at  present. 

The  religion  of  the  Vedas  differs  considerably  from  modern 
Hinduism.  The  number  of  the  gods  and  goddesses  is  thirty-three, 
instead  of  thirty-three  crores.*  The  names  of  Siva,  Durga,  Kali, 
Rama,  and  Krishna,  never  occur  in  the  Vedas.  Idols  do  not  appear 
to  be  mentioned.  There  is  no  trace  of  transmigration.  The  Brah- 
mans  are  represented  merely  as  a  professioif,  not  as  a  caste.  They 
claim  no  superiority  of  birth'over  the  other  classes  of  the  community. 

Development  of  Caste. — For  several  centuries  after  the  Vedic  age, 
we  have  little  information  regarding  the  state  of  Hinduism.  The 
code  of  laws  ascribed  to  Manu  shows  that  the  Brahmans  during  that 
period  had  developed  the  system  of  caste.  As  writing  was  unknown, 
it  required  much  time  to  commit  to  memory  the  hymns  recited  at  sac- 
rifices. The  Brahmans  devoted  themselves  specially  to  this  task,  in 
which,  therefore,  they  soon  excelled  all  others.  By  degrees  they 
secured  for  themselves  the  utmost  respect,  and  claimed  to  be  Bhude- 
vas,  gods  on  earth.  Sudras  were  said  to  be  created  for  the  purpose  of 
serving  Brahmans. 

Buddhism. — Sakya  Muni,  the  founder  of  Buddhism,  who  probably 
lived  about  500  B.C.,  among  other  things,  assailed  the  pretensions  of 
the  Brahmans  and  denounced  caste.  His  system  made  considerable 
progress  for  a  time,  largely  through  the  efforts  of  Asoka,  king  of  Mag- 
adha.  Benares,  for  several  hundred  years,  was  a  Buddhist  city.  Event- 
ually, however,  the  Brahmans  regained  their  supremacy,  and  Buddhism 
ceased  to  exist  in  India.  A  sect  called  Jains,  very  much  like  the 
Buddhists,  afterwards  arose.  Its  followers  are  still  numerous  in  some 
parts  of  Western  India. 

Modern  Hinduism.— The  worship  of  the  Vedic  gods  gradually  de- 
clined, and  new  deities  rose  into  notice.  Siva  seems  to  have  been  first 
worshipped  in  North  India  about  500  B.C.  The  followers  of  Vishnu 
began  to  multiply  about  the  sixth  century  after  Christ.  When  the 
Brahmans  found  that  the  worship  of  local  divinities  could  not  be  extir- 
pated, they  incorporated  them  with  their  system,  pretending  that  they 
were  incarnations  of  Siva  and  Vishnu.  Rama  and  Krishna,  at  first 
described  as  mere  heroes,  were  subsequently  regarded  as  incarnations 
ot  Vishnu,  and  at  present,  in  Northern  and  Western  India,  are  the 
forms  in  which  he  is  generally  worshipped. 

The  Puranas  were  written  chiefly  to  extol  particular  gods.  The 
oldest  is  considered  by  learned  men  not  to  be  earlier  than  the  eighth 
or  ninth  century  after  Christ,  and  there  are  some  not  above  three  or 
four  centuries  old. 


A  crore=io,ooo,ooo. 


THE- MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  85 

At  present  the  worshippers  of  Vishnu  are  most  numerous  iu  North 
India  ;  those  of  Siva  in  the  Madras  Presidency  ;  those  of  Durga  in 
Bengal. 

Modern  Brahmanism. — "To  the  eye  of  the  casual  observer  Brah- 
manism  is  the  religious  idea  expressed  in  a  polytheistic  form.  In  it 
deity  is  incarnated  in  various  forms  of  man  or  beast,  or  represented 
by  inanimate  objects,  until,  as  the  natural  result  of  this  fearful  depar- 
ture from  God,  the  original  conception  is  lost  sight  of,  and  the  symbol 
takes  the  place  of  that  for  which  it  stands.  (Romans  i,  21-25,)  The 
avatars  or  incarnations  of  the  Supreme  Being  are  few  in  number,  but 
nature  is  ransacked  to  find  a  sufficient  number  of  objects  in  which  He 
may  be  enshrined.  Three  hundred  and  thirty-three  millions  of  in- 
ferior deities  find  place  in  the  imaginary  Pantheon  of  the  Hindus.  The 
river  Ganges  is  the  goddess  Gunga,  born  on  the  snow-capped  range  of 
the  Himalayas  from  the  forehead  of  Brahm,  as  Minerva  from  the  head 
of  Jupiter.  At  Allahabad  this  river,  receiving  into  its  embrace  the 
scarcely  less  sacred  Jumna,  is  joined  underground  by  a  third  stream 
descending  direct  from  Heaven,  and  thus  a  trinity  of  streams  is  formed, 
which  to  the  devout  Hindu  is  the  very  portal  to  I  he  skies.  But  not 
the  rivers  alone  :  the  trees,  the  fountains,  a  rock,  a  stone,  may  be  made 
sacred  by  the  indwelling  of  some  divinity.  There  is  a  certain  tree, 
the  trunk  of  which  is  a  god,  while  each  branch,  twig,  and  leaf,  rep- 
resents an  inferior  deity. 

"  But  all  this  is  for  one  class  of  minds.  The  Hindu  religion  adapts 
itself  readily  to  all  classes.  It  is,  indeed,  a  vagary  of  the  imagination 
ratfter  than  a  religion  of  the  heart.  Thus,  while  it  is  with  some  a  pure 
polytheism,  as  held  by  others  it  is  sheer  pantheism.  The  writer  once 
asked  a  Hindu,  Parmeshzcar  kahan  hai?  ('where  is  God?')  The  reply 
was,  Ap  Pannesh-ccar  hain  ('your  Honor  is  God').  But  we  need  not 
be  flattered  by  such  distinction,  for  to  the  Pantheist,  God  is  insepara- 
ble from  His  creation,  As  the  Hindu  states  it.  God  is  without  a 
second — that  is,  besides  Him  there  is  nothing.  To  account  for  sin  the 
Hindu  philosophers  will  tell  you  that  the  soul,  a  spark  struck  from 
the  source  of  all  life  and  light,  has  through  its  union  with  the  flesh 
become  contaminated.  In  successive  births,  however,  the  accretions 
of  sin  will  be  removed,  till  at  the  last  the  soul,  regaining  its  original 
purity,  will  be  absorbed  into  the  Infinite. 

"This  religious  imposture  was,  by  the  same  hands  that  in  the 
far-distant  past  constructed  it,  interwoven  into  the  social  system  of  the 
Hindus;  and  so  skillfully  was  the  work  performed  that  it  would  seem 
impossible,  but  by  the  grace  of  God,  for  those  who  are  born  within 
the  meshes  of  this  net  ever  to  escape  Never  was  more  consummate 
wisdom  displayed  by  men  than  was  shown  by  the  Hindu  priests  of  a 
pre-historic  age,  when  they  perfected  a  system  which  should  at  once 
secure  its  own  perpetuation  and  the  supremacy,  social  and  religious, 
of  its  founders.  The  web  of  <:aj-/d?  was  indeed  artfully  woven.  It  is  a 
social  system  strengthened  and  guarded  by  religious  sanctions,  or,  if 
you  please,  it  is  a  religious  system  guarded  by  social  sanctions.  The 
Brahman,  its  originator,  is  the  centre  and  circumference  of  this  system. 
With  reference  to  it  he  formed  all  things,  and  by  him  all  things  con- 
sist. He  sprang  from  the  head  of  Brahm,  and  unites  in  himself  all  the 
attributes  of  him  who  is  without  form,  all-wise,  all-powerful.  The 
Brahman  stands  upon  the  apex  of  the  social  and  religious  pyramid 
Next  to  him  are  the  Kshatryas  or  warrior  caste,  springing  from  the 
breast   of  Brahm;   then   the    Vaisyas  or  merchant  class,  descending 


86  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

from  his  loins;  last  of  all  the  Sudras  or  laljoring  class,  issuing  from 
his  feel.  Aud  duriug  all  the  centuries  since  this  system  was  con- 
trived, these  castes  have  held  the  same  relative  position,  immorality 
or  crime,  however  black,  causing  no  descent  from  the  higher  to  the 
lower;  virtue,  however  conspicuous,  securing  no  ascent  from  the 
lower  to  the  higher." 

The  Moslem  Conquest.— Though  the  Araos  made  some  temporary 
conquests,  Mahmud  of  Ghuzni,  who  lived  about  looo  A.D.,  may  be 
considered  the  first  Muhammadan  invader  of  India.  By  degrees  the 
Muhammadans  made  themselves  masters  of  nearly  the  whole  countrj-. 
Several  Muhammadan  princes  were  zealous  propagandists  of  their 
creed.  Aurungzeb  sometimes  forcibly  circumcised  Hindus;  at  Benares 
he  demolished  the  principal  Hindu  temple,  and  erected  a  mosque  in 
its  stead.  Certain  privileges  were  conferred  on  Muhammadans,  which 
led  many  Hindus,  in  different  parts  of  the  country,  to  embrace  Islam. 
Muhammadans  are  numerous  in  Eastern  Bengal  and  on  the  banks  of 
the  Indus.     There  are  comparatively  few  in  the  South. 

Character  of  Islam.— As  to  Mohammedanism,  the  creed  of  Islam 
is  very  simple:  There  is  one  God  and  Mohammed  is  his  apostle.  The 
religion  of  the  followers  of  Mohammed  begins,  and  very  often  ends, 
with  this.  It  is  a  religion  without  a  saviour.  The  most  that  its 
adherents  have  to  hope  for  is  that  Mohammed  will  intercede  for  them; 
but  their  intercessor  did  not  claim  to  be  without  sin,  much  less  did  he 
claim  to  be  divine.  When  it  is  stated  that  the  Mohammedan  concep- 
tion of  God  is  purer  than  that  of  the  Hindu,  all  has  been  said  that 
can  be  in  favor  of  his  religion  as  compared  with  the  idolatrous  religion 
which  it  antagonizes.  While  the  Koran  is  for  the  Mohammedans  of 
India  7 he  Book,  there  are  many  and  grave  departures  from  its  teach- 
ings found  in  the  practice  of  the  followers  of  the  prophet.  If  they 
have  to  some  extent  acted  upon  the  idolatrous  religion  around  them — 
at  least  on  its  social  side — they  in  turn  have  been  acted  upon  by  being 
led  to  engage  in  various  idolatrous  practices. 

A  feature  which  characterizes  both  these  religions  is  the  elasticity 
of  which  they  are  capable.  The  Hindu  religion,  within  the  caste  lines 
which  are  determined  by  birth,  has  a  charity  broad  enough  to  admit 
every  form  of  belief  or  disbelief;  in  other  words,  being  born  a  Hindu 
and  conforming  to  the  prescribed  ritual,  you  may  believe  what  yon 
choose.  And  thus  with  the  religion  of  Islam;  only  repeat  the  Art/a?«a, 
the  creed  given  above,  and  it  matters  not  what  you  believe  or  what 
you  are.  It  is  not  strange  that  religions  so  insensible  to  the  moral 
quality  of  their  adherents,  and  which,  while  satisfying  the  demands  of 
a  depraved  conscience,  require  no  crucifixion  of  the  heart's  lusts, 
should  have  a  fascination  for  their  followers  most  difficult  to  overcome. 

The  Sikhs. — With  reference  to  the  Sikhs,  who  are  found  princi- 
pally in  the  Panjab,  Dr.  Lowrie,  in  his  "Two  Years  in  Upper  India," 
remarks  as  follows:  "  The  Sikhs  are  said  not  to  constitute  more  than 
a  twelfth  or  fifteenth  part  of  the  population  of  the  Panjab.  They 
evidently  are  much  more  allied  to  the  Hindus  than  to  the  Mussulmans 
in  their  worship  and  customs.  The  system  of  caste  prevails  more  or 
less  among  all  these  sects,  though  in  regard  to  the  Sikhs  and  Moham- 
medans it  is  not  enjoined  by  their  religion,  or  rather  it  is  contrary  to 
their  creed,  especially  to  that  of  the  Sikhs;  but  throughout  India 
usage  is  all-powerful.  Hindus,  when  they  become  Sikhs,  do  not 
renounce  caste,  except  as  it  bears  on  one  or  two  inferior  points. 

"The  religion  of  the  Sikhs  is  described  as  a  creed  of  pure  deism, 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  87 

blended  with  the  belief  of  all  the  absurdities  of  Hindu  mylhologj^, 
and  the  fables  of  Mohaniinedanisui.  Nanak  Shah,  the  founder  of  this 
religion,  professed  a  desire  to  reform,  but  not  to  destroy,  the  religion 
of  the  sect  in  which  he  was  born,  and  endeavored  to  reconcile  the 
jarring  faiths  of  Brahma  and  Mohammed  by  persuading  each  to  reject 
particular  parts  of  their  respective  belief  and  usages." 

Modern  Religious  Reforms. 

In  recent  years  several  attempts  have  been  made  to  reform 
Hinduism  and  Mohammedanism.  The  reformers  have  been 
men  who  have  been  strongly  influenced  by  Christian  mis- 
sionary education. 

„     „  From  the  standpoint  of  Christian  missions  the 

g^jjj^-  most  important  of  these  reforms  is  the  Brahma 

Somaj,  founded  by  Raja  Ram  Mohun  Ro3\ 

"Ram  Mohun  Roy,"  says  Dr.  John  Murdoch,  "made  earnest 
efforts  to  win  his  countrymen  from  idolatry,  and  the  movement  which 
he  commenced  has  been  carried  on  without  interruption.  Babu 
Keshab  Chunder  Sen,  for  several  years,  advocated  simple  theism  ;  but 
latterly,  amid  failing  health  and  mental  powers,  he  claimed  to  speak 
in  the  name  of  'the  Lord'  and  of  'India's  Mother,'  and  framed  a 
mongrel  creed  which  he  called  the  '  New  Dispensation.'  Since  his 
death  in  18S4,  his  society  has  suffered  greatly  from  internal  dissension. 

"The  Sadarana  Brahma  Somaj,  which  seceded  from  the  Brahma 
Somaj  in  1S79,  is  simply  theistic.  Its  organ,  7'he  Indian  Messen:^er, 
has  an  excellent  moral  tone. 

"The  Brahmos  have  to  complain  of  the  inconstancy  of  some  of 
their  members,  and  of  divisions  among  themselves.  No  form  of 
simple  theism  has  ever  been  the  relis:ioii  of  any  race  or  country.  The 
permanence  of  the  movement  is  therefore  doubtful.  Still,  it  is  an 
immense  advance  over  Hinduism." 

_.      .  The   reform    designated    by    the    name    Arya 

Somai  Somaj  was  inaugurated  by   a   Hindu  of  con- 

siderable learning,  Dyanund  Saraswati  Swami. 
It  is  an  attempt  to  prune  the  old  stock  of  Brahmanism  of  its 
grosser  absurdities,  to  abolish  the  caste  system  and  to  over- 
throw the  Brahman  hierarchy.  It  has  appropriated  much  of 
Christian  teaching  without  acknowledging  any  indebtedness 
to  it.  In  general  it  is  the  neo-hinduism  of  this  age,  as  neo- 
Platonism  characterized  the  early  centuries  of  the  Christian 
era.  The  reader  will  anticipate  that  this  movement  is 
bitterly  antagonistic  to  missionary  effort, 
g     ,  The  Hon.  Syed  Ahmed  Bahadur,  of  the  city 

Ahmedism  °^  Aligarh,  is  the  founder  of  a  modern  reform 
movement  among  educated  Moslems  in  India. 
His  effort  has  been  to  find  in  Moslem  practice  the  ethics  of 
Christianity.  Some  of  his  followers  hope  to  see  a  reconcili- 
ation with  Christianity  whereby  Christians  will  be  ready  to 


88  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

add  the  Quran  to  their  canon  of  Scripture  !  The  important 
concessions  made  by  Syed  Ahmed  are  the  recognition  of 
reason  as  having  a  place  in  Scriptural  interpretation  and 
doctrine,  and  the  rejection  of  the  great  mass  of  Moslem 
tradition. 

Christianity  in  India. 

On  this  point  we  cannot  do  better  than  to  quote  from  Dr. 
John  Murdock  once  more: 

"  At  the  beginning  of  the  Christian  era,  Alexandria,  in 
Egypt,  was  the  greatest  commercial  city  in  the  world.  Mark, 
the  writer  of  one  of  the  Gospels,  had  there  for  several  years 
a  school  for  catechists.  It  is  supposed  that  some  Indian 
merchants  who  went  to  Egypt  to  sell  their  silks  and  pearls 
heard  in  that  country  of  the  Saviour  who  had  come  into  the 
world.  About  the  beginning  of  the  second  century,  a  peti- 
tion for  Christian  teachers  was  addressed  to  the  bishop  of 
Alexandria.  Pantaenus,  a  very  learned  man,  was  sent,  who, 
as  far  as  is  known,  was  the  first  Christian  missionary  to 
India.  About  the  fourth  century,  a  number  of  Syrian 
Christians  settled  along  the  Malabar  coast,  where  their 
descendants  are  still  numerous. 

' '  Francis  Xavier,  a  distinguished  Roman  Catholic  mis- 
sionary, landed  at  Goa  in  1542,  and  through  his  labors  in 
South  India,  many  Hindus  became  Christians.  The  number 
of  Roman  Catholic  Christians  in  India  is  now  about  15  lakhs. -^ 

' '  The  earliest  Protestant  Christian  missionaries  to  this 
country  reached  Tranquebar,  in  the  Madras  Presidency,  in 
1706;  but  missions  in  Bengal  were  not  fairly -commenced  till 
Serampore  was  occupied  by  Carey  in  1800.  The  first  Prot- 
estant Mission  in  Western  India  was  begun  in  1813.  English 
Missionary  Institutions  maybe  considered  to  date  from  1830, 
when  one  was  established  in  Calcutta  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Duff. 
There  are  now  Protestant  missionaries  from  Europe  and 
America  scattered  all  over  the  country. 

The  number  of  native  Protestant  Christians  in  India  has 
increased  as  follows: 

185 1 91,092 

1861 138,731 

1871 224,258 

1881  417,372 

1891 559.661 

In  addition  to  Roman  Catholics  and  Protestants,  there  are 

*A  lakh=ioo.ooo. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  89 

probably  about  two  lakhs  of  Syrian  Christians.  The  total 
number  of  Christians  in  India  exceeds  two  millions,  and  they 
are  increasing  every  year." 

American  Prksbyterian  Missions  in  India. 

It  was  before  the  organization  of  the  present  Board,  and 
while  the  Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  still  in 
existence,  that  the  Rev.  John  C.  Lowrie,  now  one  of  the 
secretaries  of  the  Presbyterian  Board,  and  the  Rev.  William 
Reed  were  sent  to  India  to  lay  the  foundations  of  the  work 
which  the  Presbyterian  Church  had  resolved  to  carry  on  in 
that  land.  The  selection  of  the  particular  field  in  which 
they  should  begin  their  labors  was  left  to  their  judgment 
after  consultation  with  friends  of  the  work  in  India.  Leav- 
ing America  in  May,  1833,  they  reached  Calcutta  in  Octo- 
ber of  the  same  year,  and  after  getting  the  best  information 
available,  they  decided  to  begin  the  work  at  Lodiana,  then  a 
frontier  town  of  the  Northwest  Provinces,  and  bordering  upon 
the  Panjab,  a  territory  which  at  that  time  was  under  the  con- 
trol of  Ranjit  Singh,  a  Sikh  chief.  Dr.  Lovvrie,  in  his  "Two 
Years  in  India,"  after  stating  some  more  general  reasons 
which  influenced  his  colleague  and  himself  in  their  decision, 
says,  "  Having  now  the  history  of  nearly  seventeen  years  to 
confirm  the  opinion,  I  have  no  doubt  that  (Lodiana)  was  on 
many  accounts  preferable  to  any  other  as  a  point  from  which 
to  commence  our  efforts.  Other  cities  had  a  larger  popula- 
tion, and  could  be  reached  in  less  time  and  at  less  expense, 
but  at  no  other  could  more  favorable  introducing  influences 
have  been  enjoyed  ;  at  no  other  could  our  position  have  been 
more  distinctly  marked,  nor  our  characters  and  object  more 
accurately  estimated  by  the  foreign  residents  of  the  upper  prov- 
inces; at  no  other  were  we  less  likely  to  find  ourselves  laboring 
'  in  another  man's  line  of  things  made  ready  to  our  hand,' 
or  to  occupy  ground  that  other  bodies  of  Christians  would 
shortly  cultivate  ;  and,  not  to  insist  on  the  important  con- 
sideration of  health,  no  other  place  could  be  more  eligible  in 
its  relations  to  other  and  not  less  dark  regions  of  the  earth 
in  its  facilities  for  acquiring  a  number  of  the  languages 
chiefly  spoken  in  those  parts." 

It  was  not,  however,  without  afflictive  dispensations  that 

the  mission  work  was  to  be  begun.     While  Messrs.  Lowrie 

and  Reed  were  detained  at  Calcutta,  it  became  evident  that 

Mrs.  Lowrie's  health,  which  had  been  impaired  before  leav- 

(7) 


90  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

ing  America,  was  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  21st  of  Novem- 
ber she  was  called  to  her  rest.  In  view  of  Mrs.  I,owrie's 
illness  it  had  been  determined  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reed  should 
proceed  without  their  colleagues  to  Lodiana.  This  arrange- 
ment, however,  was  reconsidered  and  preparations  were 
made  to  remain  for  a  time  in  Calcutta.  Before  the  expira- 
tion of  the  time,  it  became  clear  that  Mr.  Reed's  health  was 
not  such  as  to  warrant  his  proceeding  further,  and  the  con- 
clusion was  reached  that  he  should  return  to  America. 
Taking  passage,  with  his  wife,  in  July,  1834,  i^  ^  ship 
bound  for  Philadelphia,  a  sad  farewell  was  given  to  many 
cherished  hopes.  Mr.  Reed  was  not  permitted  to  reach 
home.  His  death  occurred  only  three  weeks  after  leaving 
Calcutta. 

Dr.  Lowrie  says,  "  I  reached  Lodiana,  my  post  of  mis- 
sionary duty,  on  the  5th  of  November,  1834.  This  was 
nearly  eighteen  months  after  leaving  Philadelphia  ;  and  it 
serves  to  show  the  manner  in  which  distant  places  have  been 
connected  with  each  other  by  the  providence  of  Him  who 
beholds  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  at  one  view,  that  a  mes- 
senger from  churches  in  the  western  hemisphere,  after  trav- 
ersing nearly  seventeen  thousand  miles  of  the  broad  ocean, 
and  penetrating  thirteen  hundred  miles  further  towards  the 
heart  of  Asia,  should  at  last  find  his  sphere  of  labor  in  a 
city  unknown  even  by  name  to  those  by  whom  he  was  sent, 
when  his  journey  was  at  first  undertaken." 

It  may  be  mentioned  as  a  commentary  on  the  above,  and 
as  showing  that  the  world  is  growing  smaller,  as  it  were,  in 
order  that  it  may  come  within  the  grasp  of  the  Church,  that 
the  journey  to  Lodiana,  which  at  that  time,  by  ordinary  modes 
of  travel,  could  not  have  been  performed  in  less  than  seven 
or  eight  months,  can  now  be  made  within  thirty  days. 

In  December,  1835,  about  a  year  after  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
Lowrie,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  John  Newton  and  James  Wilson, 
and  their  wives,  reached  Lodiana.  The  former  was  con- 
nected with  the  mission  for  56  years  and  had  the  joy  of  having 
had  four  sons  among  his  companions  in  labor.  His  son, 
John  Newton,  Jr.,  M.D.,  a  medical  missionary,  died  in  1880. 

Without  making  mention  of  the  Stations  established  at 
Meerut  and  Agra  in  the  Northwest  Provinces,  or  of  Rawal 
Pindi,  transferred  to  the  United  Presbyterian  Mission,  and 
Rurki  which  has  been  transferred  to  the  Reformed  Presby- 
terian Synod,  it  will  be  profitable  to  notice  the  principal 
centres  occupied  by  our  own  missionaries. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  9I 

The  Lodiana   Mission. 

It  was  among  the  millions  of  the  people  of  the  North- 
west Provinces  and  the  Panjab,  that  our  missionaries  began 
and  have  continued  their  labors.  Providences  conspired 
most  wonderfully  to  open  the  way  before  the  pioneers  in  this 
work.  Lahore,  the  capital  of  the  Panjab,  was  regarded  as 
the  objective  point  by  the  first  of  our  missionaries  sent  to 
India,  and  much  of  the  work  done  at  Lodiana  for  several 
years  was  in  preparation  for  the  time  when  an  advance  might 
be  made  in  this  direction.  In  1849  this  time  came,  Ranjit 
Singh  dying,  left  no  successor  capable  of  wielding  his  iron 
sceptre. 

"The  country  soon  fell  into  a  state  of  anarchy  under  the  leaders  of 
the  army  which  he  had  trained;  and  the3'  were  so  elated  with  mistaken 
views  of  their  own  power  as  to  resolve  on  the  overthrow  of  the  British 
dominion  in  India.  For  this  purpose,  unprovoked,  they  crossed  the 
Sutlej  into  British  territory.  Defeated,  they  withdrew,  but  a  second 
time,  equally  without  provocation,  these  chiefs  and  their  fierce  troops 
arrayed  themselves  against  their  former  foe.  The  conflict  between 
the  Sikh  and  the  British  armies  was  terrible,  and  the  issue  for  a  time 
doubtful;  but  the  end  was  the  prostration  of  the  Sikh  power  and  the 
annexation  of  the  Panjab  to  the  Anglo-Indian  empire —  a  measure 
hailed  with  satisfaction  by  the  greater  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  that 
long-oppressed  land.  As  the  result  of  these  great  changes  in  the 
political  condition  of  the  Panjab  the  whole  of  that  interesting  country 
is  now  open  to  the  missionary."* 

In  the  year  1864,  a  collegiate  department  was 
Lahore  opened   in   connection  with   the  Mission  High 

School  at  Lahore  then  under  the  superinten- 
dence of  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Forman,  D.D.  Later  it  was 
affiliated  with  the  Calcutta  University,  with  Rev.  J.  A. 
Henry  as  its  first  president.  Five  years  later,  owing  to  the 
death  of  Mr.  Henry  and  the  reduction  of  the  mission  staff 
by  sickness  and  death,  this  institution  was  indefinitely  sus- 
pended. But  in  1885  the  Mission  College  idea  was  again 
revived  by  Rev.  J.  M.  McComb  in  connection  with  the  Chris- 
tian Boys'  High  School  at  Lodiana.  This  movement  led  to 
the  re-establishment  a  year  or  two  later  of  the  Mission  College 
at  Lahore,  which,  since  the  death  of  Dr.  Forman,  is  known  as 
the  Forman  Christian  College.  This  institution  opened  with 
a  roll  of  15  students.  It  has  grown  under  the  fostering  care 
of  the  missionaries  to  be  one  of  the  most  efficient  colleges  in 
the  Province. 

*  Two  Years  in  Upper  ludia. 


92  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

In  1889  commodious  buildings,  which  had  been  erected 
on  a  site  valued  at  20,000  rupees,  given  by  the  government, 
were  formally  dedicated.  Lord  Lansdowne,  Governor  General 
of  India,  and  other  distinguished  guests  being  present.  The 
total  cost  of  the  buildings  was  56,000  rupees,  of  which 
20,000  were  a  grant  from  government  in  addition  to  the  site. 
Rev.  C.  W.  Forman,  D.D.,  was  the  first  president  of  this 
new  institution,  but  finding  the  burdens  too  great  for  his 
advancing  years,  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  C. 
R.  Ewing,  D.D.,  who  is  ably  sustained  by  a  corps  of  pro- 
fessors and  instructors. 

In  1875  a  school  for  native  Christian  boys  was 
Lodiana  begun  in  Lahore  under  the  Rev.  C.  B.  Newton, 

D.D.  Two  years  later  it  was  transferred  to 
Lodiana,  but  for  lack  of  available  missionary  force,  it  was 
suspended  in  1879.  In  1882,  through  the  efforts  of  the 
Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  (Philadelphia),  money  was  raised  for  a  permanent 
building,  and  the  school  was  reopened  in  1883  under  the 
Rev.  E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D.,  in  an  edifice  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose. Under  his  superintendence  an  Industrial  Department 
was  established  in  which  instruction  is  given  in  shoemaking, 
book-binding,  printing,  tailoring  and  weaving  Turkish  rugs 
and  various  kinds  of  cloth.  A  year  later  this  school  passed 
under  the  superintendence  of  Rev.  J.  M.  McComb,  who  car- 
ried it  on,  completing  the  present  commodious  buildings  and 
making  it  one  of  the  most  important  preparatory  institutions 
for  Christian  boys  in  North  India.  It  is  at  present  directed 
by  Rev.  Arthur  H.  Ewing. 

Before  the  establishment  of  a  mission  station 
Sabathu  at  Lahore,  work  had  been  begun  at  Sabathu, 

Saharanpur,  Jalandhar  and  Ambala.  The  sta- 
tion at  Sabathu,  in  the  lower  range  of  the  Himalayas,  furn- 
ished a  sanitarium  for  invalid  missionaries,  and  at  the  same 
time  gave  opportunity  for  reaching  representatives  from  the 
Hill  tribes,  a  class  who  have  not  had  the  attention  paid  to 
them  which  their  spiritual  needs  demand. 

Saharanpur,  situated  near  the  head  waters  of 
Saharanpur       the  Jumna  and  Ganges  rivers,  was  one  of  the 

first  cities  occupied  by  our  missionaries.  Here 
labored  for  half  a  century  the  missionaries  of  the  Coven- 
anter or  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church.  Caldwell,  Camp- 
bell, Craig  and  Calderwood  lie  buried  in  the  Mission 
Cemetery.     Here  was  established  a  Boys'  Orphanage,  from 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  93 

which  have  gone  forth  some  of  the  most  distinguished  of 
our  native  preachers  and  evangelists.  Here,  too,  in  recent 
5'ears  was  established  the  Theological  Seminary,  now  under 
the  supervision  of  Rev.  A.  P.  Kelso  and  Rev.  J.  J.  Lucas, 
D.D.,  aided  by  a  corps  of  efficient  native  teachers,  graduates 
of  the  Seminary. 

Ambala,  situated  in  the  centre  of  a  splendid 
Ambala  rural  district,  and  the  head  centre  of  the  great 

military  district  of  Sarhind,  was  early  chosen 
as  a  mission  station.  Here  wrought  faithfully  several  of  the 
pioneers  in  missionary  work.  Rev.  J.  M.  Jamieson,  D.D.; 
Rev.  J.  H.  Morrison,  D.D.;  Rev.  M.  M.  Carleton,  Rev. 
James  H.  Orbison,  Rev.  Reese  Thackwell,  D.D.,  and  Rev. 
George  S.  Bergen,  their  devoted  wives  and  some  of  their 
equally  devoted  sons  and  daughters.  Here  was  established 
a  leper  asylum  and  a  hospital  for  native  women,  which  hav^e 
brought  health  and  peace  to  many  a  poor  sinsick,  dying 
soul.  In  the  district  several  important  Christian  communi- 
ties have  been  established,  with  bright  hope  for  the  future 
rapid  extension  of  Christ's  Kingdom  among  the  villages. 

The  City  of  Jalandhar  has  the  distinction  of 
Jalandhar  being  the  first  point  occupied  within  the  terri- 

tory over  which  the  Sikh  Raja  Ranjit  Singh 
held  sway.  No  sooner  had  the  victory  of  the  English 
army  been  announced  than  the  missionaries  at  Lodiana  sent 
one  of  their  number,  Rev.  Joseph  Porter,  to  inspect  this 
field  and  to  arrange  for  the  location  of  a  native  missionary 
there.  This  missionary  was  the  Rev.  Golak  Nath,  the  first 
convert  baptized  at  Lodiana,  and  the  first  native  minister 
of  our  Church  in  India.  He  was  located  at  Jalandhar  in 
1846,  and  there  he  labored  wisely  and  faithfully  for  nearly 
half  a  century.  For  several  years  before  the  death  of  Mr. 
Golak  Nath  and  for  all  the  years  since,  this  station  has  been 
occupied  by  American  missionaries,  who  carry  on  the  three- 
fold work  of  evangelistic  preaching  in  city  and  surrounding 
villages,  educational  work  in  schools  for  boys  and  girls  and 
work  among  the  women  in  the  Zenanas. 

The  work  in  Dehra  Doon  was  begun  in  1853, 
Dehra  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Woodside.      The  Dehra  Valley 

(Doonj  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  spots  in 
India.  It  lies  between  the  first  low  range  of  mountains 
called  the  Sewaliks  and  the  higher  range  of  the  Himalayas. 
It  is  the  seat  of  a  famous  shrine  of  the  Sikhs,  and  is  visited 
by  many  thousands  of  devotees  every  year.     It  is  also   a 


94.  HISTORICAL   .SKETCH    OF 

military  cantonment  where  the  Gurkha  or  Nepalese  soldiery 
of  the  British  army  are  stationed,  thus  affording  an  oppor- 
tunity to  evangelize  a  class  quite  inaccessible  as  yet  in  their 
native  land.  Since  the  establishment  of  the  mission,  Dehra 
Doon  has  become  famous  for  its  Christian  girls'  boarding- 
school.  This  school,  which  was  very  small  in  its  begin- 
nings, has  grown  into  almost  magnificent  proportions,  and 
will  undoubtedly  exert  a  controlling  influence  upon  the 
native  Christian  community  in  Northern  India.  Its  present 
prosperity  is,  under  a  kind  Providence,  largely  due  to  the 
wisdom  and  self-denying  zeal  of  the  two  ladies  at  first  con- 
nected with  it — Mrs.  Herron,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  David 
Herron,  and  Miss  Catharine  L.  Beatty.  Of  the  former 
Miss  Beatty  wrote  as  follows:  "To  Mrs.  Herron's-zeal 
and  patience,  never  flagging  under  the  heaviest  trials  and 
discouragements  ;  to  her  peculiar  tact  in  overcoming  diffi- 
culties ;  to  her  skill  in  adapting  our  best  American  school 
systems  so  nicely  to  the  widely  different  habits  of  this  coun- 
try, so  as  neither  to  offend  the  prejudices  of  the  pupils  on 
the  one  hand,  nor  encourage  the  evils  of  their  customs  on 
the  other, — will  this  school  through  all  time  stand  as  a  mon- 
ument." Respecting  Miss  Beatty,  the  following  record  is 
made  in  the  report  of  the  Lodiana  Mission  for  1871  : 

Mr.  aud  Mrs.  Herron  were  joined  by  Miss  Beatty  in  the  spring 
of  1S63.  This  lady  then  took  charge  of  the  educational  department, 
and  continued  the  charge  of  it  till  the  end  of  that  year,  when,  Mr. 
Herron  leaving  the  countr}'  after  the  death  of  Mrs  Herron,  the  entire 
care  of  the  school  was  committed  to  her.  The  duty  which  she  then 
undertook  was  a  weighty  and  responsible  one,  but  she  proved  herself 
fully  equal  to  it.  Her  experience  as  a  teacher,  her  decision  of  char- 
acter, and  her  administrative  ability,  fitted  her  in  no  common  degree 
for  the  work.  She  lived  in  the  same  house  and  sat  at  the  same  table 
with  the  children,  and  had  them  under  her  eye  and  influence  contin- 
ually. Their  progress  in  learning,  their  cultivated  manners,  their 
prompt  obedience,  and  their  order  and  good  conduct,  were  proofs  of 
her  ability  and  devotion  that  all  could  see,  and  evidences  of  a  success 
which  is  seldom  attained  in  so  short  a  time.  The  labor  and  care, 
however,  which  she  gave  to  the  school  were  too  much  for  her  physical 
strength.  By  the  end  of  the  year  186S  her  health  was  so  impaired 
that  she  had  to  seek  rest  and  a  change.  But  in  a  few  months  it  was 
evident  that  her  work  was  done.  Although  not  able  to  walk,  yet  with 
characteristic  energy  she  undertook  the  long  and  fatiguing  journey 
home,  where,  on  the  24th  of  December,  1S70,  she  died,  in  the  midst 
of  loving  friends.  There  are  many  in  this  land  who 'arise  up  and 
call  her  blessed.' 

The  erection  of  the  building  now  occupied  by  the  school 
was  under  the  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  J.  S.  Woodside. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  C)5 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Mather,  speaking  of  this  building,  says:  "The 
site  chosen,  on  high  open  ground,  is  admirable,  and  the 
building  itself  is  a  model  of  solidity,  blended  with  economy." 
The  school  for  many  years  was  under  the  superintendence 
of  Rev.  Dr.  Herron.  In  a  paper  read  before  the  Allahabad 
Missionary  Conference,  Dr.  Herron  stated  the  design  of  the 
institution  to  be — 

I  St.  To  give  the  children  the  comforts  and  advantages  of 
a  home. 

2d.  To  give  them  the  highest  intellectual  culture  that 
they  are  capable  of  receiving. 

3d.  To  bring  them  to  Christ,  and  to  cultivate  in  them 
the  Christian  virtues. 

4th.  To  lead  the  native  Christians  to  value  the  education 
of  their  daughters  by  making  them  pay  for  their  children's 
support  when  they  are  able  to  do  so. 

Since  1882,  when  Dr.  Herron  retired  from  the  principal- 
ship,  the  Dehra  Girls'  School  has  been  under  the  care  of  the 
following  lady  principals:  Miss  L,.  M.  Pendleton,  Miss  S. 
M.  Wherry  and  Miss  H.  A.  Savage.  A  Normal  Training 
Class  has  been  added  in  recent  years.  In  this  department 
native  and  Eurasian  women  are  trained  as  Bible-readers 
and  Zenana  teachers.  Much  increased  efficiency  in  woman's 
work  for  women  is  looked  for  from  this  department. 

It  will  be  appropriate  to  mention  in  this  place 
Woodstock  the  Woodstock  School  for  the  daughters  of 
missionaries,  established  at  Landaur,  within  a 
few  hours  ride  of  Dehra.  It  was  established  through 
the  influence  of  the  Dehra  missionaries.  Dr.  Woodside  and 
Dr.  Herron.  This  school  was  for  many  years  under  the  man- 
agement of  Mrs.  J.  L.  Scott,  assisted  by  an  able  corps  of 
teachers.  Since  the  death  of  Mrs.  Scott,  it  has  been  man- 
aged successively  by  Miss  Annie  Scott,  Mrs.  Bradshaw,  Miss 
Clara  C.  Giddings  and  at  present  by  Rev.  J.  M.  McComb 
and  wife.  The  primary  object  of  the  institution  was  to  fur- 
nish an  education  for  the  children  of  our  missionaries.  The 
shape  that  it  finally  took  was  a  school  of  the  higher  grade, 
for  the  instruction  not  only  of  the  daughters  of  missionaries 
(and  the  sons  also  up  to  a  certain  age),  but  also  for  Euro- 
pean, Eurasian  and  native  Christian  girls.  The  largest 
number  of  pupils  is  from  the  second  class,  of  mixed  European 
and  Indian  descent — a  class  greatly  needing  the  care  and 
training  afforded  by  such  a  school.  Woodstock  is  beauti- 
fully situated  on  a  spur  of  the  Himalayas,  about  7,000  feet 


96  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  school  is  in  a  highly  pros- 
perous condition,  and  may  be  regarded  as  one  of  the  perma- 
nent agencies  for  the  extension  of  Christ's  kingdom  in 
northern  India. 

„  In  his  "History  of  the  American  Presbyterian 

^    *^  Missions  in  India"  Dr.  Newton  says: 

Hoshyarpur  was  occupied  in  1867.  It  contains  20,000  people  and 
is  the  chief  town,  after  Jalandhar,  in  the  country  lying  between  the 
Sutlej  and  the  Beeas.  It  is  within  half  a  dozen  miles  of  the  lower  hills 
which  flank  the  great  Himalayan  range  of  mountains,  and  much  of 
the  civil  district  of  Hoshyarpur,  with  a  population  of  900,000,  lies 
among  the  hills.  Of  the  inhabitants  of  this  district,  550,000,  accord- 
ing to  the  late  census,  are  Hindus,  290,000  Mohammedans,  and  59,000 
Sikhs. 

The  Station  was  occupied  in  the  first  instance  by  the  Rev.  Guru 
Dass  Moitra.  Very  soon  however  he  gave  place  to  the  Rev.  Kali 
Charan  Chatterjee,  who  has  been  the  scle  missionary  there  ever  since. 

The  peculiar  interest,  attaching  to  Hoshyarpur  district  is 
the  fact  that  it  has  been  entirely  under  the  control  of 
native  missionaries.  Its  development  along  evangelistic  lines 
has  fully  justified  the  confidence  placed  in  the  missionary  in 
charge.  Prosperous  Christian  communities  have  grown  up 
in  various  towns  and  villages  in  the  district.  The  Christians 
number  277  communicants,  besides  158  adherents.  This 
station  is  altogether  the  banner  station  of  our  India  Mission. 
The  work  of  Rev.  M.  M.  Carleton  and  Mrs. 
Ani  Carleton    deserves    especial     mention.      Mr. 

Carleton  has  worked  out  the  settlement  idea  in 
missions  with  a  zeal  that  has  been  wonderful.  It  began  at 
the  village  of  Santok  Majara  in  the  Ambala  district  many 
years  ago.  Health  considerations  obliged  the  missionary  to 
spend  a  large  part  of  each  year  in  the  mountains.  This  led 
to  the  establishment  of  a  second  village  settlement  at  Ani  in 
the  Himalaya  mountains,  where  Mr.  Carleton  is  now 
obliged  to  spend  all  his  time. 

The  number  of  Christians  at  Ani  is  now  42.  The  people 
maintain  themselves  by  cultivating  the  soil.  The  native 
minister  and  a  school  teacher  are  paid  from  the  sales  of  farm 
produce.  Missionary  tours  are  made  to  the  villages  in  the 
neighborhood.  A  free  dispensary  is  maintained  and  efforts 
put  forth  to  help  the  people  in  every  way,  hoping  to  raise 
them  in  the  scale  of  civilization. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  97 

Furrukhabad   Mission. 

Turning  our  attention  now  to  the  Furrukhabad 
Allahabad  Mission,  we  find  work  begun  at  several  im- 
portant centres.  As  early  as  1836  Allahabad 
had  been  selected  as  a  field  for  evangelistic  labor  ;  and 
although  it  has  not  proved  to  be  the  most  promising,  still 
the  wisdom  of  those  who  chose  this  field  has  been  justified. 
As  the  capital  of  the  Northwest  Provinces,  and  the  head- 
quarters of  the  North  India  Bible  and  Tract  Societies,  it  is 
highly  desirable  that  our  mission  should  be  represented 
there.  By  means  of  the  Press,  which  for  many  years  was 
under  the  management  of  the  missionaries,  and  is  now  car- 
ried on  by  native  Christians  connected  with  our  mission, 
the  influence  of  the  mission  is  widely  extended,  and  in 
addition  to  the  usual  work  of  bazaar  and  village  preaching 
and  the  education  of  the  young,  the  facilities  for  meeting 
and  proclaiming  the  gospel  to  representatives  of  all  parts  of 
northern  India,  at  the  annual  mela  or  religious  gathering, 
are  very  great. 

The  next  point  occupied  in  the  Furrukhabad 
Fatehgarh  Mission  was  Fatehgarh,  in  1838.  Shortly  after 
the  occupancy  of  this  station  a  number  of 
orphan  children  who  had  been  rescued  from  a  famine  then 
prevailing,  and  had  been  consigned  to  the  care  of  the  Rev. 
Henry  R.  Wilson,  were  brought  here  from  Fatehpur,' and 
these  may  be  said  to  have  constituted  a  nucleus  for  the 
thriving  Christian  community  which  is  now  formed  at 
Fatehgarh. 

In  the  year  1843  mission  work  was  begun  at  Mainpuri, 
forty  miles  distant  from  Fatehgarh,  and  some  of  the  native 
helpers  were  detached  from  the  Fatehgarh  station  to  take  up 
their  residence  in  connection  with  a  missionary  at  Furruk- 
habad City,  of  which  Fatehgarh  is  a  cantonment.  It  was 
not  until  ten  years  after  that  any  new  station  was  occupied. 
Work  was  then  undertaken  at  Fatehpur,  one  of  the  smaller 
cities  between  Allahabad  and  Cawnpore. 

.  In   the   preceding   slight   sketch  a  glance   is 

The  Mutiny,  ^^^^^^  ^j.  ^-^^  mission  stations  of  our  Board  as 
^^'^  they  existed  in  northern  India  and  the  Panjab 

previous  to  the  mutiny,  which  occurred  in  1857.  At  that 
time  the  work  was  making  favorable  progress,  being  carried 
on  in  the  various  directions  of  preaching,  teaching  and  the 


98  HLSTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

preparation  of  a  literature  for  the  growing  Indian  Church. 
If  the  European  population  generally  had  but  little  reason 
to  anticipate  impending  danger,  there  was  less  cause  for  any 
such  expectation  on  the  part  of  the  missionaries.  They 
had,  many  of  them,  lived  for  years  among  the  mixed  Hindu 
and  Mohammedan  population,  on  the  most  friendly  terms 
with  all  classes.  Their  schools  had  been  attended  by  child- 
ren from  every  caste.  Even  the  preaching  of  the  gospel 
was  generally  listened  to  .with  respect,  and  at  almost  every 
station  there  were  converts  to  the  truth. 

But  the  whole  European  population  was  awakened  from 
fancied  security  as  if  by  an  earthquake  shock.  Barrackpore 
in  Bengal,  and  Meerut  in  the  Northwest  Provinces,  were  the 
first  to  be  visited,  and  in  a  few  weeks  the  whole  country  was 
convulsed.  Of  the  mission  stations  of  our  Board,  Eodiana, 
Fatehgarh  and  Allahabad  were  the  greatest  sufferers.  It 
was  at  Fatehgarh  that  the  blow  fell  most  heavily.  At  the 
other  stations  above  named  the  loss  of  property  was  great, 
but  at  Fatehgarh  and  the  adjoining  station  of  Fnrrukhabad 
precious  lives  were  sacrificed.  The  sad  story  of  the  hurried 
flight  to  Cawnpore  of  the  brethren  Freeman,  Campbell, 
Johnson  and  Mc Mullen  and  their  wives,  with  the  two  little 
children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Campbell;  the  capture  of  the  party 
at  Bithoor;  the  dreary  march  thence  to  Cawnpore,  a  distance 
of  eight  miles;  the  detention  for  a  night  in  the  Sivada  Kothi, 
a  house  belonging  to  their  captor;  the  translation  on  the 
morning  of  the  next  day,  when  upon  the  parade-ground  of 
the  station  they  and  over  one  hundred  Europeans,  mostly 
women  and  children,  fell  before  the  fire  of  their  murderers: — 
these  tragic  events  cannot  be  forgotten  by  the  church  which 
was  so  nobly  represented  by  these  martyred  ones;  nor  can 
their  last  words,  expressive  of  their  trust  in  the  Saviour, 
when  passing  through  this  terrible  ordeal,  be  forgotten. 
Only  a  few  of  these  words  may  be  quoted  here. 

Mrs.  Freeman  wrote: 

We  are  in  God's  hands,  and  we  know  that  He  reigns.  We  have 
no  place  to  flee  for  shelter  but  under  the  covert  of  His  wings,  and 
there  we  are  safe.  Not  but  that  He  may  suff'er  our  bodies  to  be  slain. 
If  He  does,  we  know  that  He  has  wise  reasons  for  it.  I  sometimes 
think  our  deaths  would  do  more  good  than  we  would  do  in  all  our 
lives;  if  so.  His  will  be  done.  Should  I  be  called  to  lay  down  my  life 
most  joyfully  will  I  die  for  Him  who  laid  down  His  life  for  me. 

Mrs.  Johnson  said: 

Everything  seems  dark  and  doubtful,  but  that  which  seems  so 
mysterious  now  may  be  but  the  bringing  about  of  a  brighter  day  for 
poor  benighted  India.     We  look  upon  each  day  now  asour  lasti^  but 


THE    MISvSIONS    IN    INDIA.  99 

oh  !  how  delij^htful  are  our  seasons  of  prayer,  together  imploring  the 
care  and  protection  of  that  God  who  alone  can  save  us. 

The  others  wrote  in  a  similar  strain,  and  from  their  writ- 
ings it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  that  the  promises  of  God 
in  Christ  were  very  precious  to  them,  until  the  full  fruition 
came  in  their  seeing  the  King  in  His  beauty. 

After  the  mutiny  it  became  a  question  of  great  interest 

how  the  mission  work  would  be  affected  by  such  a  crisis. 
Would  the  barriers  which  had  previously  existed  be  lowered, 
or  would  the  people  be  more  disposed  to  reject  the  truth  ?  It 
was  found  that  in  the  good  providence  of  God,  whilst  all 
obstacles  were  not  removed,  there  was  more  read}-  access  to  the 
people.  It  is  thought  by  many  that  had  the  British  govern- 
ment at  that  time  given  up  its  principle  of  neutrality  with 
regard  to  religious  matters,  and  taken  a  decided  stand  in 
favor  of  the  propagation  of  the  Christian  religion,  much 
would  have  been  gained  toward  the  rapid  evangelization  of 
the  country.  But  although  this  was  not  done,  evangelistic 
work  has  measurably  advanced.  There  can  be  no  question 
that  the  faith  of  Hindus  and  Mohammedans  in  their  religions 
has  been  shaken  within  the  last  forty  years  to  an  extent 
never  before  known,  and  to  day  India  is  more  accessible  to 
gospel  influences  than 'ever  before.  It  would  be  impracti- 
cable in  such  a  sketch  as  this  to  illustrate  this  proposition 
fully.  One  corroborative  fact  has  marked  significance,  viz., 
the  advancement  that  has  been  made  in  the  education  of  the 
women  and  children  of  India.  The  customs  in  this  laud  are 
such  as  to  preclude  much  social  intercourse  between  the 
sexes;  indeed  the  women,  especially  of  the  richer  families, 
are  to  such  an  extent  secluded  that  they  can  scarcely  be 
considered  as  forming  a  part  of  the  communities  in  which 
they  dwell.  Such  being  the  case,  it  was  in  former  years 
almost  impossible  to  bring  evangelistic  influences  to  bear 
upon  the  women  of  India.  Efforts  in  this  direction  were 
made  from  the  beginning  of  the  missionary  work,  but  with 
only  limited  success.  With  exceptional  cases  the  way  was 
barred  to  the  advances  of  the  missionary  ladies  who  so 
earnestly  desired  to  carry  the  gospel  to  their  benighted 
sisters. 

That  there  has  been  a  marked  change  in  this  respect  since 
the  mutiny  is  evident.  The  caste  system  may  be  said  to 
remain  unimpaired.  It  cannot  be  affirmed,  moreover,  that 
the  Hindus  and  Mohammedans  have  any  more  friendly  feel- 
ing toward  their  conquerors,  or  for  the  religion  which  they 


lOO  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF 

profess.  How  then  is  the  change  to  be  accounted  for  ?  To 
the  writer  of  this  sketch  the  reason  for  the  change  is  found 
largely  in  the  impulse  given  to  English  education  as  a  result 
of  the  mutiny.  After  the  transfer  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany's rights  to  the  Crown,  it  was  soon  perceived  that  the 
British  government  intended  to  furnish  the  people  of  India 
with  greater  facilities  for  securing  an  education,  whether  in 
the  vernaculars  or  in  the  English  tongue.  Graded  schools, 
from  those  of  an  elementary  character  to  such  as  prepared 
for  an  entrance  to  the  university,  were  established  all  over 
the  country.  To  these  the  native  boys  and  youth  flocked  in 
great  numbers,  and  year  by  year  thousands  were  graduated 
with  an  education  greatly  superior  to  that  which  their  parents 
had  received. 

Here  an  additional  point  is  to  be  noticed.  Perhaps  in  no 
country  more  than  in  India  is  marriage  the  chosen  lot; 
indeed,  for  a  girl  not  to  marry  at  an  age  which  in  Christian 
lands  would  be  thought  altogether  too  early,  would  be 
regarded  as  an  unfortunate  thing.  But  for  the  educated 
youth  of  the  land  there  must  be  found  educated  wives;  hence 
the  necessity  was  forced  upon  parents  to  secure  for  their 
daughters  such  an  education  as  would  fit  them  for  this  new 
condition  of  things. 

Thirty  years  ago,  zenana  teaching  and  girls'  schools  were 
unknown,  except  in  a  few  rare  instances,  whereas  now  scores 
and  hundreds  of  women  and  girls  are  taught,  and  this,  too, 
from  God's  word.  On  every  side  the  houses  of  Hindus  and 
Mohammedans  are  thrown  open  to  the  visits  of  the  wives  of 
the  missionaries  and  the  single  ladies  who  have  gone  to 
India  for  the  express  purpose  of  teaching.  Girls'  schools 
are  found  in  every  part  of  the  country,  and  it  is  safe  to 
affirm  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  it  will  be  as  diffi- 
cult to  find  in  India  a  girl  who  cannot  read  and  write  as  it 
would  be  in  our  own  land. 

The  same  motives  which  actuated  the  founders  of  the 
Dehra  School,  induced  the  members  of  the  Furrukhabad 
Mission  to  establish  a  school  on  the  same  plan,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Christian  girls  in  the  part  of  the  country  occupied 
by  that  mission.  Accordingly,  in  1887,  the  Jumna  Chris- 
tian Girls'  High  School  was  opened  in  Allahabad.  The 
school  building  was  originally  a  large  mission  house,  en- 
deared to  very  many  of  our  missionaries  as  their  first  home  in 
a  heathen  land.  It  occupies  a  beautiful  site  on  the  banks  of 
the  Jumna  river,  and  has  been  so  remodeled  and  enlarged  as 


THK    MISSIONS    IN   INDIA.  lOI 

to  afford  all  the  necessary  conveniences  for  a  boarding  and 
day-school. 

This  school  was  founded  by  Dr.  J.  J.  Lucas  and  his  wife, 
but  for  many  years  has  been  superintended  by  Mrs.  Sarah 
Newton,  assisted  by  Miss  Margaret  Morrow  and  Miss  J.  L. 
Colman. 

Western   India  Mission. 

The  Western  India  or  Kolhapur  Mission,  located 
Kolhapur  in  a  distant  part  of  the  country  from  the  North- 

west Provinces,  suffered  but  little  during  the 
mutiny.  The  territory  occupied  by  this  mission  lies  south- 
west of  Bombay,  and  covers  part  of  the  Deccan.  The 
Ghats,  a  range  of  mountains  some  forty  or  fifty  miles  from 
the  coast,  cut  the  field  in  two.  The  Kolhapur  State  lies 
east  of  this  range,  and  has  a  population  of  802,691.  The 
adjoining  districts  to  this,  in  which  are  no  missionaries,  have 
a  population  of  1,700,000;  add  to  this  the  Concan,  or  the 
portion  between  the  Ghats  and  the  sea,  and  there  is  a  total 
population  of  4,000,000,  who  are  to  be  reached  with  the 
truth. 

Kolhapicr  is  the  capital  of  the  province  bearing  the  same 
name.  It  contains  a  population  of  some  45,000.  "  As  seen 
from  a  distance  the  city  is  beautiful  for  situation.  The  most 
commanding  object,  next  to  the  king's  palace,  is  the  tower- 
ing white  dome  of  a  -  very  large  temple.  Few  cities  or 
places  in  India  have  so  high  a  reputation  for  sanctity.  The 
favorite  legend  among  the  people  is  that  the  gods  in  council 
once  pronounced  it  the  most  sacred  spot  of  all  the  earth." 

The  Western  India  Mission  was  25  years  old  the  20th  of 
October,  1S95,  and  the  occasion  was  celebrated  with  great 
rejoicing.  The  Rev.  R.  G.  Wilder  began  work  in  Kolha- 
pur as  early  as  1852,  but  it  was  not  until  1870  that  our 
Board  assumed  charge  of  the  work.  This  pioneer  mission- 
ary entered  into  rest  October  10,  1887,  after  a  faithfulness 
and  efficiency  of  service  which  have  made  his  name  an 
honored  one  among  the  mighty  host  of  the  sainted  dead, 
but  his  devoted  wife  still  labors  on  in  the  field  hallowed  by 
the  memories  of  her  beloved  husband.  The  records  of  that 
first  year  give  the  number  of  communicants  as  21  and  of 
baptized  children  as  5.  There  were  2  schools — i  for  boys, 
enrolling  100  pupils  ;  and  i  for  girls,  with  27  in  attendance. 


I02  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Besides  Mr.  Wilder,  4  other  missionaries  have  gone  to 
their  reward,  the  Rev.  James  Johnson  Hull  in  1879,  the 
Rev.  William  Pratt  Barker  in  1882,  Miss  Margaret  I..  Ewalt 
in  1892,  and  the  Rev.  George  Henry  Ferris  in  1894,  while 
several  smaller  graves  pathetically  witness  to  the  perils  of 
an  Indian  climate  and  to  the  sorrows  of  missionary  parents 
in  that  far-off  land.  Three  missionaries  have  retired — Mrs. 
J.  J.  Hull  in  1891,  Mr.  John  Jolly  in  1893,  and  Miss  S. 
Elizabeth  Winter,  M.D.,  in  1895. 

The  church  reported  114  members  in  1897,  and  the  Sun- 
day-schools in  the  city  and  villages  reach  about  four  hundred 
scholars. 

There  is  a  Christian  girls'  boarding-school  in  the  city, 
and  a  number  of  day-schools  for  boys  in  the  surrounding 
villages. 

Ratnagiri,  the  second  station  established,  is  a  place  of 
15,000  inhabitants,  one-third  Mohammedans,  about  120 
miles  south  of  Bombay,  on  the  coast.  Although  the  station 
was  opened  in  1873,  the  lack  of  missionary  force  and  other 
causes  have  operated  to  retard  the  work.  After  having  been 
virtually  abandoned  for  a  time,  it  was  reoccupied  in  1891. 
A  church  was  organized  in  1892. 

Panhala,  14  miles  north  of  Kolhapur  and  about  1,000 
feet  higher,  was  occupied  in  1877  and  has  a  small  church 
with  schools  for  boys  and  girls. 

Sa7igli,  is  the  capital  of  a  small  State  of  the  same  name. 
Work  was  begun  there  in  1884.  There  is  an  organized 
church  with  a  good  building  and  a  Sunday-school  of  nearly 
200.  A  boarding-school  for  Christian  boys  is  located  here. 
This  school  organized  in  18S8,  was  designed,  says  the 
Annual  Report  for  1896,  "  so  to  train  up  the  native  children 
of  the  Mission  that  they  will  become  good  and  practical  men, 
and,  as  Christians,  exemplary  and  useful  in  the  native  com- 
munity." It  is  hoped  that  ere  long  many  converted  scholars 
can  be  sent  out  to  preach  and  teach  in  the  surrounding  vil- 
lages. At  first  it  was  difficult  to  get  even  Christian  parents 
to  send  their  children,  but  now,  with  few  exceptions,  they 
are  anxious  to  have  their  children  attend.  There  is  also  an 
increasing  number  of  the  lower  castes  of  Hindus  who  ask 
permission  to  send  their  boys.  The  Christian  influence  of 
the  school  appears  in  the  fact  that  of  the  49  who  were  in 
attendance  at  the  close  of  the  last  term,  42  are  professing 
Christians  or  the  sons  of  Christian  parents. 

MiraJ^  occupied  in  1892  by  Dr.  W.  J.  Wanless  and  Mrs, 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  IO3 

Wanless,  is  an  important  position  because  of  its  railway 
connections  and  its  large  population.  The  medical  work  is 
very  prominent  here.  By  the  generosity  of  Mr.  J.  H.  Con- 
verse of  Philadelphia,  a  £;ne  hospital,  dispensary  and  physi- 
cian's residence  were  opened  in  1894. 

The  same  agencies  employed  in  northern  India  are  in 
operation  in  this  mission  for  making  known  the  story  of 
redeeming  love.  The  school,  the  circulation  of  books  and 
tracts,  and  the  proclamauon  of  the  truth  in  chapel  and  on 
the  highway,  have  the  same  object  in  view — to  reach  the 
heart,  and  bring  men  into  sympathy  with  Christ. 

Woman's  Work  for  Women. 

The  records  of  the  India  Missions  of  our  Church  show 
that  Presbyterian  women  have  not  been  behindhand  in  their 
zeal  for  practical  work  for  women.  Naturally,  owing  to  the 
unsettled  condition  of  the  country  when  the  missions  were 
founded  the  way  was  not  yet  open  for  the  work  of  single 
women.  But  the  early  missionaries  were  almost  invariably 
accompanied  by  wives  who  became  zealous  co-workers  in 
the  propagation  of  the  faith.  They  often  obtained  access 
to  the  women  in  the  homes  of  Hindus  and  Moslems  and 
were  able  to  witness  for  the  pure  gospel  of  Jesus  by  words 
and  deeds  of  kindness.  Women  have  always  had  a  sphere 
of  missionary  labor  in  the  environment  of  their  own  homes, 
and  in  the  homes  of  native  Christians,  in  the  education  and 
training  of  orphan  children  rescued  from  death  by  famine 
and  neglect,  and  finally  in  opening  up  the  work  for  heathen 
girls  and  women  in  school  and  zenana.  We  have  among 
the  wives  of  missionaries  many  of  the  most  efficient  mis- 
sionaries in  the  field. 

The  education  of  men  early  led  to  a  desire  for  female 
education  and  the  growth  of  this  desire  led  to  the  opening 
of  many  homes  to  the  European  lady  and  her  native  assist- 
ants. To-day  hundreds  of  single  women  find  a  special 
sphere  open  to  them  in  all  parts  of  the  land.  Many  of 
these  have  been  and  are  now  connected  with  the  Presby- 
terian missions.  They  conduct  the  schools  and  orphanages 
for  both  Christian  and  non-Christian  girls.  They  undertake 
a  systematic  work  of  teaching  in  the  homes  where  women 
are  secluded  in  zenanas.  They  do  not  hesitate  to  go  into 
isolated  towns  and  villages  and  undertake  to  work  far  away 
from  the  abodes  of  European   neighbors,     Many  of  them 


I04  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

have  gone  out  with  a  special  medical  training  and  have 
established  hospitals  and  dispensaries  especially  for  women 
and  children,  where  thousands  of  patients  have  received 
medical  aid  and  been  nursed  back  to  health  and  a  happy  life. 

Among  the  many  branches  of  woman's  work 
Orphanages       none  has  been  more  fruitful  than   the  care  of 

orphans.  Allusion  has  already  been  made  to 
the  orphanage  established  in  Fatehgarh  in  1838.  Since  then 
the  character  of  it  has  been  somewhat  changed.  It  now 
forms  not  only  an  asylum  for  the  orphans  of  heathen  parent- 
age, but  also  a  home  and  school  for  the  children  of  Chris- 
tians who  are  unable  to  provide  for  their  families,  and  m?"i.y 
a  neat,  happy  home  in  the  Christian  community  testifies  to 
the  good  training  received  in  this  institution.  After  the 
return  of  Mr.  and  Mrs  Chatterjee  from  their  visit  to  Amer- 
ica, an  orphanage  was  established  in  Hoshyarpur,  under  their 
care.  It  is  certainly  a  sign  of  progress  when  such  a  re- 
sponsible work  can  be  carried  on  by  those  who  are  themselves 
the  fruit  of  mission  work. 

During  the  famine  of  1876-77  an  orphanage  for  boys 
and  girls  was  established  in  Kolhapur.  In  1888  the  boys  in 
this  institution  were  removed  to  Sangli  to  form  the  nucleus 
of  the  boarding-school  for  Christian  boys,  and  the  girls  re- 
tained in  Kolhapur  as  the  beginning  of  a  school  for  Chris- 
tian girls.  A  new  dormitory  and  schoolroom  have  been 
provided,  and  last  year  49  pupils  were  in  attendance. 

A  school  for  orphan  girls  was  early  established  at  Lodiana, 
which  for  many  years  was  most  successfully  carried  on  under 
a  galaxy  of  missionary  ladies  whose  names  deserve  especial 
mention.  These  ladies  were  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Newton,  Mrs. 
Rudolph,  Mrs.  M.  R.  Janvier,  Mrs.  Porter  and  Mrs.  Myers. 
The  Christian  women  educated  and  trained  in  this  school 
form  a  band  of  native  Bible-women  and  teachers  which 
has  done  good  service  in  many  cities  and  towns  in  North 
India.  In  1873  this  school  was  merged  in  the  Dehra  Chrisr 
tian  Girls'  School.  ,s. 

,      i    r — ' 

The  Mission  Press.  -         (t^-  -'' 

The  Press  was  one  of  the  earliest  agencies  used  by  our 
mission  and  it  is  one  that  is  more  and  more  productive  of 
good.  In  a  late  work  on  missions  in  India,  Rev.  Dr.  Sher- 
ring,  of  the  London  Missionary  Society,  gives  to  the  mis- 
sions of  our  Board  the  credit  of  doing  more  than  any  other 
mission  in  the  way  of  creating  a  Christian  literature.     Too 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  IO5 

much  space  would  be  occupied  in  enumerating  all  that  has 
been  done  in  this  direction.  In  a  general  way  it  may  be 
stated  that  commentaries  have  been  prepared  on  Genesis, 
the  Psalms,  Isaiah,  the  later  Prophets,  the  four  Gospels, 
Ephesians  and  Colossians  ;  a  work  on  theology  was  begun 
by  Dr.  Owen,  but  was  left  uncompleted  at  his  death  ;  a 
Hindi  grammar  has  been  prepared,  as  also  a  Hebrew  gram- 
mar in  the  Urdu  vernacular,  text  books  on  ancient  and 
Church  history  and  a  dictionary  of  the  New  Testament  Greek; 
all  in  the  Urdu  language  for  the  use  of  students  in  the  theo- 
logical schools  and  for  the  native  pastors.  Translations  of 
vP'nious  standard  works  have  been  made,  and  large  num- 
bers of  tracts  composed  and  translated,  which  are  cir- 
culated by  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  copies 
every  year.  Besides  these,  a  hymn-book  has  been  furn- 
ished for  the  Indian  Church,  containing,  in  addition  to 
original  hymns  in  the  native  metres,  translations  of  many 
of  the  choicest  selections  from  English  and  German  hym- 
nology.  At  Allahabad  a  monthly  magazine,  the  Makhzaii  i 
Mas/hi,  or  "Christian  Treasury,"  is  published  in  the  Urdu 
language,  for  Christian  families,  and  has  entered  upon  its 
fourteenth  year  ;  and  at  Eodiana  the  Nicr  Afshan  or  "  The 
Dispenser  of  Light,"  founded  by  Dr.  Wherry  in  1872  has 
done  good  service  in  the  contest  between  Christianity  and 
heathenism.  It  is  the  organ  of  the  native  Christian  com- 
munity, and  under  a  competent  native  editor  still  holds  its 
own  as  a  strong  Christian  newspaper. 

In  the  preparation  of  a  Christian  literature  some  of  our 
native  brethren  have  done  excellent  service.  One  who  has 
lately  passed  away — the  Rev.  Ishwari  Dass — prepared  in 
the  English  language  an  elementary  work  on  theology, 
which  received  a  prize  for  excellence.  Another  (Rev.  J.  J. 
Caleb)  translated  and  published  Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge's  "Outlines 
of  Theology."  He  also,  besides  translating  a  work  on  the 
early  history  of  the  Church,  has  just  brought  out  a  valu- 
able treatise  on  the  Trinity. 

American  Presbyterian  missionaries  have  contributed 
much  towards  the  work  of  translating  and  publishing  the 
Scriptures  into  the  vernacular  languages  of  India.  Rev. 
John  Newton  in  addition  to  preparing  the  first  grammar  of 
the  Panjabi  and  writing  many  books  and  tracts  in  that  lan- 
guage, translated  with  the  aid  of  Rev.  Levi  Janvier  the 
whole  of  the  New  Testament,  Genesis  and  twenty  chapters 
of  Exodus,  and  the  Psalms.  A  revised  translation  of  the 
(S) 


I06  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Scriptures  in  Panjabi  has  been  carried  through  the  Press  by 
Rev.  E.  P.  Newton. 

The  late  Rev.  J.  F.  Ullman  edited  an  edition  of  the 
Bible  in  Hindi.  He  translated  the  Psalms  into  Urdu  metres 
suitable  for  use  in  the  native  churches,  and  he  was  also  the 
most  prolific  of  India's  hymn -writers. 

Recently  Rev.  J.  H.  Kellogg,  D.D.,  has  re-entered  India 
after  many  years'  absence  to  engage  in  the  work  of  revising 
and  re-translating  the  Scriptures  in  Hindi  and  Urdu.  Another 
of  our  missionaries,  Rev.  Dr.  Wynkoop,  was  also  called  to 
India  to  take  charge  of  the  North  India  Bible  and  Tract 
Society  at  Allahabad,  thus  enabling  him  to  enter  once  more 
upon  a  sphere  in  which  he  had  already  accomplished  good 
work. 

The  Presses  established  at  Lodiana  and  Allahabad  have 
both  passed  into  the  hands  of  native  Christian  printers  and 
book-makers,  educated  and  trained  by  the  missionaries. 
The  Book  and  Tract  Depositories  have  been  merged  in  the 
Tract  and  Book  Societies  of  the  Panjaband  Northwest  Prov- 
inces at  Lahore  and  Allahabad.  It  marks  a  step  forward 
to  note  that  work  formerly  done  at  great  expense  of  mis- 
sionary labor  and  time  is  now  done  by  Christians  native  to 
the  soil. 

Leper  Asylums. 

Our  missionaries  in  India  have  not  been  unmindful  of 
the  lepers  in  the  empire,  of  whom  there  are  250,000.  Three 
asylums  are  at  present  in  connection  with  our  work,  though 
they  are  supported  largely  by  funds  contributed  on  the  field. 
That  at  Ambala,  where  there  are  thirty  inmates,  twenty-five 
of  them  Christians,  is  under  the  medical  charge  of  Dr. 
Jessica  Carleton.  For  many  years  the  Rev.  J.  J.  Lucas,. 
D.D.,  of  the  Furrukhabad  Mission,  was  superintendent  of  the 
Blind  and  Leper  Asylums  of  Allahabad.  Dr.  Lucas  wrote, 
"This  is  a  work  which  brings  its  own  reward.  The 
Christian  lepers  have  a  peace  within  which  often  lightens 
their  faces  with  a  brightness  born  of  a  life  hid  with  Christ 
in  God." 

Of  the  Asylum  at  Sabathu  the  Rev.  John  Newton,  D.D., 
wrote: 

This  originated  in  a  small  poor-house  more  than  40  years  ago. 
It  was  under  the  immediate  care  of  the  missionary,  and  was  supported 
by  the  monthly  contributions  of  the  Europeans  residing  there.  There 
were  a  few  lepers  in  it  from  the  first.  It  grew  into  an  institution  of 
importance  after  Dr.  Newton  (son  of  the  writer)  was  posted  to  that 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  IO7 

station.  As  a  physician  he  took  special  interest  in  the  lepers,  and 
experimented  with  the  view  of  discovering  some  medicine  by  which 
the  progress  of  the  disease  might  be  arrested;  and  at  one  time  he 
thought  he  had  made  snch  a  discovery.  He  built  a  number  of  houses 
at  a  short  distance  from  the  Mission  House,  that  he  might  have  the 
objects  of  his  benevolent  attentions  near  him.  He  regarded  them  not 
as  medical  patients  only,  but  as  emphatically  the  poor  who  need  to 
have  the  gospel  preached  to  them.  So  there  was  a  small  building 
erected  which  answered  the  double  purpose  of  a  dispensary  and  a 
chapel.  Here  the  lepers  voluntarily  assemble  every  day  for  worship, 
besides  coming  for  the  special  service  on  the  Lord's  Day,  which  is 
intended  for  the  little  Christian  community  of  the  station  as  well. 
Out  of  the  So  or  90  lepers  in  the  Asylum  a  few  are  Christians,  and 
some  who  have  not  been  baptized  give  such  attention  to  the  reading 
and  exposition  of  the  word,  and  sing  with  such  apparent  zest,  that 
they  seem  really  to  be  Christians  in  heart. 

This  Asylum  is  at  present  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Marcus 
B.  Carleton,  who  has  for  several  years  cared  for  the  unfortu- 
nate inmates. 

"The  inmates  of  this  Asylum,"  says  the  last  report,  "numbering 
nearly  one  hundred,  have  been  under  daily  religious  instruction  and 
have  made  marked  improvement  in  singing  and  praying,  both  at  the 
meeting  for  all  the  inmates  in  the  chapel,  and  in  the  evening  prayer- 
meetings  in  their  own  quarters." 

Hospitals  and  Medical  Missions. 

Although  India  is  supplied  with  a  Medical  Department 
in  connection  with  government,  with  hospitals  and  dispen- 
saries in  the  chief  cities,  there  is  now  as  heretofore  a  definite 
sphere  for  medical  missionaries.  Medicine  is  a  powerful 
auxiliary  to  missionary  preaching.  Like  his  Master,  the 
medical  missionary  goes  about  doing  good,  healing  the  sick 
and  through  his  good  work  commends  the  gospel  to  many 
who  would  otherwise  be  untouched.  Some  missionaries 
have  used  their  medical  knowledge  as  they  went  through  the 
towns  and  villages  relieving  the  cases  encountered  in  their 
missionary  tours.  Others  have  established  hospitals,  with 
indoor  patients  and  dispensaries  open  at  certain  hours.  Such 
hospitals  are  now  found  at  Lahore,  Ambala,  Sabathu, 
Jagrawan,  Firozepore,  Allahabad,  Kodoli  and  Miraj.  Dur- 
ing the  past  year  109,348  patients  were  treated  in  these, 
hospitals. 

Theological  Schools. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  missions  in  India  the  candidates 
for  the  ministry  received  private  instruction  from  the  mis- 
sionaries.    When   the   number   of  candidates  increased  so 


I08  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

that  much  time  was  expended  by  this  endeavor  to  educate 
by  the  individual  method  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  set  apart 
one  or  two  missionaries  to  do  this  special  work.  In  this  way 
a  theological  class  was  formed  at  Allahabad  under  the 
instruction  of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Brodhead,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  H.  Kel- 
logg and  the  Rev.  T.  S.  Wynkoop.  Later  on  the  Synod  of 
India  established  a  Theological  Seminary  at  Saharanpur 
under  the  care  of  Rev.  Dr.  E.  M.  Wherry  and  Dr.  J.  C.  R. 
Ewing.  This  Seminary  is  at  present  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
J.  J.  Lucas,  D.D.,  and  the  Rev.  A.  P.  Kelso,  M.A.,  aided 
by  native  teachers. 

In  recent  years  the  need  of  Training  Schools  for  lay 
workers  has  been  felt  and  one  has  been  established  at  Khanna 
under  Rev.  E.  P.  Newton  and  another  at  Fatehgarh  under 
Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Forman. 

As  the  students,  almost  without  exception,  are  married 
men,  and  come  to  the  school  accompanied  by  their  families, 
a  ^rand  field  for  work  is  opened  to  the  wives  of  the  Profes- 
sors, which  they  do  not  fail  to  improve.  While  our  future 
native  pastors  are  being  fitted  to  preach  the  gospel  to  their 
own  people,  their  wives  are  being  trained  for  the  responsi- 
bilities which  will  rest  upon  them;  not  only  that  they  may 
be  more  intelligent  women,  but  better  house-keepers  and 
more  useful  members  of  society. 

The  hope  of  church  extension  in  India  lies  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  church  from  within.  These  schools  are  rapidly 
preparing  ministers  and  evangelists  for  the  great  conquest 
of  the  land.  Many  faithful  pastors  and  evangelists  have 
gone  out  into  the  great  harvest  field  and  much  of  the  large 
ingatherings  of  recent  years  are  to  be  traced  to  them. 

Through  the  generous  gift  of  Mrs.  J.  L.  Taylor  of  Cleve- 
land, Ohio,  the  Seminary  at  Saharanpur  will  have  a  much 
needed  building  which  will  be  known  as  the  "  Livingstone 
Taylor  Memorial  Hall." 

Week  of  Prayer. 

What  is  known  as  the  "  Week  of  Prayer  "  for  the  con- 
version of  the  world  had  its  origin,  in  its  present  form,  in 
a  call  issued  by  the  Lodiana  Mission  in  connection  with  its 
Annual  Meeting  in  November,  1858.  It  was  the  year  after 
the  mutiny  and  while  the  effects  of  that  uprising  were  still 
sorely  felt.  Before  issuing  the  call  the  mission  spent  three 
days  in  earnest  prayer.  Concerning  that  season  Rev.  John 
H.  Morrison,  D.D.,  wrote  :   "It  was  a  precious  three  days. 


THE    MISvSIONS    IN    INDIA.  IO9 

and  made  us  feel  that  God  was  with  us — that  He  was  giving 
us  an  earnest  of  the  blessings  we  sought  in  issuing  the 
call,"  The  call,  which  met  a  prompt  and  cordial  response 
throughout  the  Christian  world,  is  as  follows: 

"  Whereas  our  spirits  have  been  greatly  refreshed  by  what  we  have 
heard  of  the  Lord's  dealings  with  His  people  in  America,  and  further, 
being  convinced  from  the  signs  of  the  times  that  God  has  still  larger 
blessings  for  His  people  and  ior  our  ruined  world,  and  that  He  now 
seems  ready  and  waiting  to  bestow  them  as  soon  as  asked  ;  therefore, 
"Resolzrd,  That  we  appoint  the  second  week  in  January,  1859, 
beginning  with  Monday  the  8th,  as  a  time  of  special  prayer,  and  that 
all  God's  people,  of  every  name  and  nation,  of  every  continent 
and  island,  be  cordially  and  earnestly  invited  to  unite  with  us  in 
the  petition  that  God  would  now  pour  out  His  Spirit  upon  all  flesh,  so 
that  all  the  ends  of  the  earth   might  see  His  salvation." 

Signs  of  Progress. 

Thus  is  the  highway  being  cast  up.  Much  preparatory 
work  has  been  done  ;  much,  no  doubt,  remains  to  be  dotie 
before  the  chariot  of  the  Lord  shall  appear  ;  but  we  know 
that  He  shall  come  whose  right  it  is  to  reign.  Let  us  not 
decline  the  work  of  preparation,  since  this  shall  be  the  con- 
summation. In  spite  of  ever}'  difficulty  the  work  has  ad- 
vanced. Great  obstacles  have  been  overcome.  Facilities 
for  acquiring  the  language  have  increased.  Thousands  of 
youth  are  taught  in  our  schools,  while  other  thousands  have 
gone  out  from  these  schools  with  their  prejudices  against 
Christianity  diminished  and  in  many  cases  removed,  and 
with  the  seeds  of  divine  truth  implanted  in  their  hearts. 
Churches  have  been  organized  ;  a  native  ministry  is  being 
raised  up  ;  and  through  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  souls 
are  saved. 

One  of  the  most  encouraging  signs  of  the  times  is  the 
agitation  which  now  exists  on  the  child-marriage  question. 
The  early  marriages  have  been  among  the  greatest  hin- 
drances in  mission  work,  especially  in  that  for  the  women, 
and  missionaries  have  sought  in  every  way  to  lead  the  people 
to  see  the  evil  of  the  custom,  but  until  lately  all  efforts  seemed 
in  vain.  It  is  therefore  the  more  hopeful,  because  the  move- 
ment towards  its  abolishment  has  come  from  the  natives 
themselves.  Again  and  again,  stirring  articles  have  been 
written  by  their  educated  men,  urging  the  people  to  do  away 
wnth  such  cruel  customs,  and  appealing  to  the  Briti.'^h  gov- 
ernment to  frame  such  laws  as  would  prevent  the  marriage 
of  children  under  twelve  5'ears  of  age. 


no  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

To  quote  the  language  of  one  of  them  :  ' '  British  blood 
and  money  have  flowed  like  water,  in  efforts  to  stamp  out 
slavery  in  other  countries,  yet  in  India,  the  British  govern- 
ment sits  by  with  folded  hands  while  a  father  is  permitted 
to  sell  in  marriage  an  infant  daughter  of  eight  to  a  man  of 
forty-seven,  already  rendered  notorious  by  his  tyranny." 

This  interest  has  been  increased  by  two  special  cases 
having  been  brought  before  the  public,  two  out  of  the 
thousands  of  hidden  ones,  equally  sad. 

One  was  that  of  a  girl  named  Rukhmabai.  In  a  letter 
to  a  Madras  paper  she  tells  her  own  story  : 

"  I  was  sold  by  my  grossly  stupid  parents  and  ill-educated  broth- 
ers, for  loo  rupees— a  paltry  sum,  indeed — to  a  miserable  wretch 
whose  complaint  makes  him  a  loathsome  object.  I  shrink  from  his 
very  touch.  His  presence  is  irksome  to  me.  I  am  often  filled  with 
thoughts  of  self-destruction.  If  I  may  not  some  day  rid  myself  of 
the  burden  of  life,  by  casting  myself  into  some  friendly  tank  or  well, 
as  some  of  my  equally  unfortunate  sisters  do,  my  life  must  be  a  weari- 
ness and  a  burden." 

Friends  were  raised  up  for  her,  and  her  suit  for  divorce 
carried  from  one  court  to  another,  till,  on  the  payment  of  a 
very  much  larger  sum  than  that  received  by  her  parents  for 
her,  she  was  released  from  her  wretched  husband,  and  is 
now  in  England. 

The  other  case  has  a  sadder  ending.  Lachmi  is  a  child- 
widow,  and  was  sold  by  her  mother  to  a  life  of  sin  and  sor- 
row, because,  as  she  could  never  marry  again,  her  parents 
were  obliged  to  support  her.  The  girl,  wishing  to  escape 
such  a  disgraceful  life,  fled  for  protection  to  her  missionary 
teachers.  But  the  mother  brought  a  claim  for  her  daughter, 
and  the  laws  of  the  land  compelled  them  to  give  her  up. 

When  such  facts  are  brought  to  light,  even  the  heathen 
themselves  are  compelled  to  ask  for  Christian  laws — and 
with  Christian  laws  must  come  the  Christian's  God  and  the 
Christian's  Bible. 

We  must  add  one  other  very  significant  fact.  The  people 
are  awakened  as  never  before  to  the  work  which  is  going  on 
among  them  through  the  influence  of  missionaries.  The 
leading  men,  both  Hindus  and  Mohammedans,  are  all  alive 
to  check  the  overwhelming  tide  of  Christianity  which  they 
see  coming  upon  them. 

They  are  making  strong  appeals  to  their  countrymen  to 
arouse  them  from  their  apathy,  and  oppose  its  influence,  for, 
as  they  say,  "The  life-blood  of  our  society  is  fast  ebbing 


THE    MISSIONS    IX    INDIA.  Ill 

away,  and  irreligion  is  eating  into  its  vitals.  .  .  .  The 
result  of  the  national  apathy  is  that  the  countless  Christian 
missions  at  work  in  this  country  are  in  a  fair  way  of  achiev- 
ing their  object.  The  unflagging  energy  and  systematic 
efforts  with  which  these  bodies  are  working  at  the  founda- 
tion of  our  society  will,  unless  counteracted  in  time,  surely 
cause  a  mighty  collapse  of  it  at  no  distant  date." 

Certainly  the  outlook  for  the  conversion  of  India's  mil- 
lions was  never  as  hopeful  as  to-day. 

The  Native  Church. 

All  along  in  the  history  of  our  Missions  in  India,  churches 
have  been  organized  according  to  the  custom  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  For  long  periods  the  missionaries  performed 
the  pastoral  duties,  but  some  progress  has  been  made  in  the 
direction  of  self-support  and  in  several  churches  the  people 
support  their  own  native  pastors. 

The  Churches  have  constituted  five  Presbyteries  which 
together  constitute  the  Synod  of  India.  In  the  Lodiana  and 
Lahore  Presbyteries,  Home  Missionary  Societies  have  been 
formed  under  the  care  of  the  Presbyteries  to  carry  on  a  mis- 
sionary work  under  native  Christian  management. 

The  Home  Mission  of  the  Lodiana  Presbytery  conducts 
its  missionary  work  in  six  villages  and  for  the  year  1896 
reports  30  steadfast  converts.  The  Board  has  consented  to 
give  grants  in  aid  to  this  work  limiting  its  aid  to  the  amount 
contributed  by  the  native  churches.  The  Annual  Report 
for  1S96,  says  this  plan  has  been  a  success  thus  far. 

The  contributions  of  the  Churches  have  greatly  increased.  Two 
out  of  the  five  are  self-supporting,  the  other  three  are  making  advances 
in  that  direction  and  all  are  contributing  for  evangelistic  and  other  pur- 
poses. Our  India  brethren  now  are  interested  in  subjects  which 
formerlv  scarcely  commanded  their  attention.  Our  ministers  not  only 
study  more  carefully  Presbyterian  I^aw  and  "The  Confession  of 
Faith,"  but  give  themselves  with  real  zeal  to  the  attainment  of  a  higher 
spiritual  life. 

This  movement  is  the  most  important  advance  in  the 
history  of  our  native  churches. 

Among  the  members  of  the  native  churches  included 
within  the  Synod  of  India  are  many  ministers  and  laymen, 
who  are  distinguished  witnesses  to  the  good  results  of 
Christian  missions  and  give  assurance  that  Christianity  has 
taken  root  in  India's  soil. 

Many  might  be  named  who  occupy  honorable  stations  in 


112  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

life  and  who  are  consistent  members  and  earnest  workers  in 
the  Presbyterian  Churches  of  India.  The  hope  of  India  lies 
in  its  native  churches  and  especially  in  its  native  ministers. 
Among  them  are  converts  from  all  the  castes  of  Hinduism, 
especially  from  that  of  the  Brahmin.  Four  were  Moslem 
converts  and  one  the  candidate  for  the  High  Priesthood  of 
the  Jain  sect. 

Statistics  of  India  IMissions  in  1897. 

Missionaries,  including  5  medical  48 

Ordained  native  ministers  30 

Native  helpers,  teachers,  Bible-women,  etc 304 

Churches : 28 

Communicants 31O93 

Number  of  schools  148 

Total  number  of  pupils  in  schools 10,978 

Pupils  in  Sabbath-schools 5,041 

Married  women  missionaries....  , 44 

Unmarried  lady  workers ......  42 

Lady  medical  missionaries '. 6 

Hospitals  and  dispensaries 13 

Patients  treated  last  year 109,348 

Contributions  of  the  Churches ; $3,985.66 

STATIONS,  1897. 

LODIANA    MISSION. 

Ambala,  55  miles  southeast  of  Lodiana;  Station  begun  1848; 
laborers— Rev.  Reese  Thackwell,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Thackwell,  Rev. 
Howard  Fisher,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Fisher,  Mrs.  William  Calderwood, 
Mrs.  E  H.  Braddock,  Miss  J.  R.  Carleton,  M.D.,Miss  Emilv  Marston, 
M.D.,  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Pratt,  J^ev.  Masih  Charan,  Rev. ' Jati  Ram; 
out-station  at  Aui  in  the  hills.  Rev.  Marcus  M.  Carleton  and  Mrs. 
Carleton;  2  out-stations,  11  native  preachers  and  evangelists,  4  licen- 
tiates, 8  Bible-women,  and  40  native  teachers. 

Dehra,  47  miles  east  of  Saharanpur;  Station  begun  1853;  labor- 
ers—Rev. W.  J.  P.  Morrison  and  Mrs.  Morrison,  Miss  Harriet  A. 
Savage,  Miss  Elma  Donaldson,  Miss  Jennie  L.  Colmau  and  Mrs.  Abbie 
M.  Stebbins;  i  out-station,  i  native  preacher,  5  Bible-women,  and  32 
native  teachers. 

Ferozepore,  50  miles  southwest  of  Lodiana;  Station  begun  1882; 
laborers— Rev  F.  J.  Newton,  M.D..  and  Mrs.  Newton,  Miss  Helen  R. 
Newton,  M.D.,  and  Rev.  J.  N,  Hyde;  2  out-stations,  4  preachers  and 
evangelists,  2  licentiates. 

HosHYARPORE,  45  miles  north  of  Lodiana;  Station  begun  1867; 
\a.hortrs—Rev.  K.  C.  Chatterjee  and  Mrs.  Chatterjee,  and  Rev. 
Mtihamnied  Shah;  4  out-stations,  18  preachers  and  evangelists,  2 
licentiates,  and  11  native  teachers. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA.  II3 

JULLUNDUR,  120  miles  east  of  Lahore,  30  miles  west  of  Lodiaua; 
Statiou  begim  1S46;  laborers— Rev.  C.  B.Newton,  D.D.,  Miss  Caroline 
C.  Downs,  and  Miss  Margaret  C.  Given,  Rev.  Henry  Goloknaih,  Rev 
Abdullah;  3  out  stations,  8  preachers  and  evangelists,  3  licentiates,  3 
Bible-women,  and  32  native  teachers. 

Lahore,  the  political  capital  of  the  Punjab,  1,225  miles  northwest 
of  Calcutta;  Station  begun  1849;  laborers— Rev.  J.  C.  Rhea  Ewiug, 
D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Ewing,  Rev  J.  Harris  Orbison,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Orbi- 
son.  Rev.  Henry  C.  Velte  and  Mrs.  Velte,  Rev.  H.  D.  Griswold  and 
Mrs.  Griswold,  Rev.  Robert  Morrison  and  Mrs.  Morrison,  Prof  J.  G. 
Gilbertson  and  Mrs.  Gilbertson,  Rev.  E.  D.  Martin  and  Mrs.  Martin, 
and  Mrs.  C.  W.  Forman,  Rev.  Isa  Charqn  and  Rev.  Dharni  Das; 
out-station  at  Waga,  Miss  Clara  Thiede;  3  other  out-stations,  23 
preachers  and  evangelists,  2  licentiates,  2  Bible-women,  and  62  native 
teachers. 

LODIANA,  near  the  river  Sutlej,  1,100  miles  northwest  of  Calcutta; 
vStation  begun  1834;  laborers— Rev.  Edward  P.  Newton  and  IMrs. 
Newton,  Rev  Arthur  H.  Ewing  and  Mrs.  Ewing,  Rev.  Walter  J. 
Clark  and  Mrs.  Clark,  Rev.  U.  S.  G.  Jones  and  Mrs.  Jones,  Miss 
Sarah  M.  Wherry,  Dr.  M.  Maud  Allen,  Miss  Carrie  Clark,  and  Miss 
Emma  Morris;  Rev.  John  B.  Dales,  Rev.  Ahmed  Shah,  Rev.  Sandar 
Lai,  Rev.  P.  C.  Uppal  and  Rev.  Matthias;  4  out-stations,  28  preachers 
and  evangelists,  i  licentiate,  and  41  native  teachers. 

Sab.\Thu,  in  the  lower  Himalaya  Mountains,  no  miles  east  of 
Lodiana;  Station  begun  1836;  laborers — M.  B.  Carleton,  M.D.,  and 
INIrs.  Carleton;  3  preachers  and  evangelists,  and  7  native  teachers. 

Sah.aranpur,  130  miles  southeast  of  Lodiana;  Station  begun 
1S36;  laborers-Rev.  Alexander  P.  Kelso  and  Mrs.  Kelso,  Rev.  C.  W. 
Forman,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Forman,  Miss  Jessie  Dunlap,  and  Miss  C.  B. 
Herron,  Rev  John  A.  Liddle;  2  out-stations,  6  preachers  and  evange- 
lists, 4  licentiates,  3  Bible- women,  and  31  native  teachers. 

Woodstock,  in  Landour,  15  miles  east  of  Dehra;  School  begun 
1874;  laborers — Rev.  J.  M.  McComb  and  Mrs.  McComb,  Miss  Clara  C. 
Giddings,  Miss  Margaret  C.  Davis,  and  Miss  Alice  Mitchell 

FURRUKHABAD    MISSION. 

Allahabad,  at  the  junction  of  the  Ganges  and  the  Jumna,  506 
miles  northwest  of  Calcutta  ;  station  begun  1S36  ;  laborers — Rev.  Jas 
M.  Alexander  and  Mrs.  Alexander,  Rev.  W.  F.Johnson,  D.D.,  Rev. 
C.  A.  R.Janvier  and  Mrs.  Janvier,  Rev.  J.  J.  Lucas,  D  D.  and  Mrs.  Lucas, 
Rev.  S.  H.  Kellogg.  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Kellogg,  Rev.  Thomas  Mitchell 
and  :\Irs.  Mitchell,  Miss  Mary  E  Johnson,  lslx=,.  John  Newton,  Jr., 
Miss  Margaret  J.  Morrow,  and  Dr.  Bertha  T.  Caldwell,  Rev.  John  J. 
Caleb;  1  out-stations,  7  licentiates,  6  Bible-women. 

Etawah,  on  the  Jumna,  30  miles  southwest  of  Mainpurie  ;  station 
begun  1863  ;  laborers — Rev.  John  S.  Woodside  and  Mrs.  Woodside, 
Rev.  A.  G.  McGaw  and  Mrs.  McGaw,  Miss  Christine  Belz,  Rev. 
Par  in  Sukh;  i  out-station,  4  Bible-women. 

FaTehgarh-Furrt-khabad,  the  former  the  civil  station  and  the 
latter  the  native  city,  733  miles  northwest  of  Calcutta  ;  station  begun 
1844;  laborers — Rev.  John  N.  Forman  and  Mrs.  Forman,  Rev.  Henry 


114  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Forman,  Rev.  C.  H.  Bandy  and  Mrs.  Bandy,  Miss  Mary  P.  Forman 
and  Miss  Emily  N.  Forman  ;  4  out-stations,  13  licentiates,  4  Bible- 
women. 

Fatehpur,  70  miles  northwest  of  Allahabad  ;  station  begun  1853; 
laborers— >^<?z/.  Gulam  Masih  ;  4  licentiates. 

jHANSr,  250  miles  west  of  Allahabad  ;  population,  52,000  ;  station 
begun  1886  ;  laborers — Rev.  James  F.  Holcomb  and  Mrs.  Holcomb, 
Rev.  J.  B  Ely  and  Mrs.  Ely,  Miss  Mary  FuUerton  and  2  lady  assist- 
ants, Rev.  Nabi  Bakhsh,  Rev.  Isaac  Fieldbrave  ;  /^  licentiates,  i  Bible- 
woman. 

Mainpurie,  40  miles  west  of  P'atehgarh  ;  station  begun  1S43 '. 
laborers  -Rev.  Thomas  Tracy  and  Mrs.  Tracy,  Rev.  H.  M.  Andrews 
and  Mrs.  Andrews,  and  Miss  Mary  E.  Bailey  ;  3  outstations,  8  licen- 
tiates, 6  Bible-women. 

MORAR,  capital  of  the  native  state  of  Gwalior;  station  begun 
1874 ;  laborers — Mrs.  Joseph  Warren,  Rev.  Sukh  Pal. 

WESTERN    INDIA   MISSION. 

KoLHAPUR,  200  miles  southeast  of  Bombay  ;  45,000  inhabitants  ; 
mission  work  begun  1852  ;  taken  under  care  of  the  Board,  1870 ;  labor- 
ers— Rev.  James  M.  Goheen  and  Mrs.  Goheen,  Rev.  William  H.  Han- 
num  and  Mrs.  Hannum,  Rev.  Edgar  M.Wilson  and  Mrs.  Wilson, 
Rev.  Robert  P.  Wilder  and  Mrs.  Wilder,  Rev.  George  W.  Seller  and 
Mrs.  Seiler,  Mrs.  George  H.  Ferris,  Mrs.  R,  G.  Wilder,  Miss  Grace 
E.  Wilder,  Miss  Esther  Patton,  Miss  Rachel  Irwin,  Rev.  Shivaram 
Masoji. 

Ratnagiri,  70  miles  northwest  of  Kolhapur  ;  mission  station  com- 
menced 1873  ;  laborers — Rev.  J.  Morrison  Irwin  and  Mrs.  Irwin,  Dr. 
Alexander  S.  Wilson  and  Mrs  Wilson,  Miss  E.  T.  Minor,  Miss 
Amanda  Jefferson,  Miss  Unsworth,  Z.B.M.,  Miss  Betteridge,  Z.B.M., 
Miss  Mary  Fergueson,  Z.B.M. 

Panhala,  14  miles  north  of  Kolhapur  ;  mission  station  com- 
menced 1877  ;  laborers — Rev.  L.  B.  Tedford  and  Mrs.  Tedford,  Miss 
Jennie  Sherman,  Miss  A.  Adelaide  Brown,  Miss  Rachel  Irwin,  Rev. 
Satuba  R.  Ranabhise. 

Sangu,  30  miles  east  of  Kolhapur  ;  mission  station  commenced, 
1884;  laborers— Rev.  J.  P.  Graham  and  Mrs   Graham. 

MiRAj,  a  few  miles  from  Sangli,  and  capital  of  a  separate  state  ; 
the  centre  of  the  medical  work;  mission  station  commenced,  1892; 
laborers— Dr.  W.  J.  Wanless  and  Mrs.  Wanless,  Rev.  G.  H.  Simonson, 
Miss  Annie  T.  Sharp,  Z.B.M. 

Missionaries  in  India,  1833-1897. 

*Died.     Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 

Alexander,  Rev.  J.  M.,iS66  Babbitt,  Miss  Bessie,  1888-1891 

Alexander,  Mrs.,  1866  Bacon,  Miss  J.  M.,  1872-1882 

Allen,  Maud,  M.D.,       1894  Baily,  Miss  Mary  E.,  1889 

Andrews,  Rev.  H.  M.,  1890  Bandy,  Rev.  C.  H.,  1894 

Andrews,  Mrs.,  (Miss  Bandy,  Mrs.,  1894 

S.  S.  Hutchinson,  ^Barker,  Rev.  W.  P.,  1872-1876 

1879-1885),  1890  Barker,  Mrs.,  1872-1876 


THE    .HUSSIONS    IN    INDIA. 


115 


Barnes,  Rev.  George  O. 
Barnes,  Mrs., 

*Beatty,  MissC.  L., 
Bell,  Miss  J.  F.,M.D., 
Belz,  Miss  C, 
Bergen,  Rev.  G.  S  , 
Bergen,  INIrs  , 
Braddock.  Mrs.  E.  H., 
Brink,  Miss  P.  A., M.D. 

*Brodhead,  Rev.  Aug., 
Brodhead,  Mrs., 
Brown,  Miss  A.  A., 
Butler,  Mrs.  J.  M., 

*Calderwood,  Rev.Wm. 

"Calder wood,  Mrs.  L.  G. 
Calderwood,  Mrs    E., 

*Caldwell,  Rev.  Joseph, 

*Caldwell,  Mrs., 
Caldwell,  Mrs., 
Caldwell,    Bertha    T., 
M.D., 

*Campben,  Rev.  Jas.  R  , 

*Campbell,  Mrs., 

♦Campbell,  Rev.  D.  E., 

*Canipbell,   Mrs., 
Campbell, Miss  MaryA. 
Campbell,  Miss  A., 
Campbell,  L.   M., 
Carleton,  Rev.  M.  M., 

*Car]eton,  Mrs., 
Carleton,  Mrs., 
Carleton,  Marcus  B., 

M.D., 
Carleton,  Jessica  R., 

M.D., 
Clark,  Rev.  W.  J., 
Clark,  Mrs., 
Clark,  Miss  C.  R., 
Colman,  Miss  J.  h-, 
Condit,  Miss  Anna  M., 

*Craig,  James, 
Craig,  Mrs., 

*Craig,  Miss  M.  A., 

*Davis,  Miss  Julia, 
Davis,  Miss  M.  C, 
Donaldson,  MissElma, 
Downs,  Miss  C.  C, 
Dunlap,  Miss  Jessie  F., 
Elv,  Rev.  J.  B., 
Ely,  Mrs., 

*Ewalt,  Miss  Margt.  L., 
Ewing,  Rev.  J.  C.  R., 

D.D., 
Ewing,  Mrs., 
Ewing,  Rev.  A.  H., 


1855-1861 

1855-1S61 

I 862- I 870 

I 884- I 888 

1872 

1865-1883 

I 869- I 883 

1892 

1872-1874 

1859-1878 

1859-1878 

1894 

1880-1881 

1855-1889 

1S55-1859 

1863 

1838-1S77 

1838-1839 

1842-1S78 


I 836 -I 86 2 
1S36-1873 
1850-1857 
I 850- I 85 7 
I 860- I 863 
1874-187S 
1875-1878 

1855 
1855-1881 

1884 

1 88 1 

1886 

1893 

1893 

1895 

1890 

1886-1888 

1838-1845 

I 838- I 846 

1870-1890 

1S3S-1836 

1895 
1889 
1881 
1889 
1896 
1896 
1888-1892 


Ewing,  Mrs.,  1890 

^Ferris,  Rev.  G.  H.,  1878-1893 

Ferris,  Mrs.,  1878 

Fisher,  Rev.  H.,  M.D  1889 

Fisher,  Mrs.,  1896 

^Forman,  Rev.  C.  \V.,  1848-1S94 
^Forman,    Mrs.    (Miss 


Margaret  Newton), 

Forman,  Mrs.  C.  W.. 

Forman,  Rev.  Henry, 
''Forman,  Mrs.  (Miss  A. 
E.  Bird,  1888), 

Forman,  C.  W.,  M.D., 

Forman,  Mrs., 

Forman,  Rev.  John  A. 

Forman,  Mrs. ( Miss  E. 
G.  Foote,  1S86), 

Forman,  Miss  Emily, 

Forman,  Miss  Mary  P. 
^Freeman,  Rev  JohnE. 
•^Freeman,  Mrs.  M.  A., 
^Freeman,  Mrs.  Eliz. 


1855-1878 
1884 

1SS4 


^-1896 


1879 
1879 
1890 


18S3 
1 888 


1890 
1892 
18S7 

1839-1857 
I 839- I 849 
1851-1857 
*Fullerton,  Rev.  R.  S.,  1850-1865 
Fullertou,  Mrs.,  1850-1866 

Fullerton,  Miss  M.1877-188S-1895 
Giddings,  Miss  C.  C,    1889 
Gilbertson,  Prof.  J.  G.,  1889 
Gilbertson,  Mrs  ,  1889 

Given,  Miss  Margt.  C,  1881 
Goheen,  Rev.  J.  M.,      1875 
*Goheen,  Mrs.,  1875-1878 

Goheen,   Mrs.    (Miss. 

A.  B.  M'Ginnis,  1876)1879 
Graham,  Rev.  J.  P.,  1872 
Graham.     Mrs.    (Miss 

M    Bunnell),  1872 

Green,  Willis,  M.D.,     1842-1843 
Griffiths,  Miss  Irene,     1879-1890 
Griswold,  Rev.  H.  D.,  1890 
Griswold,  Mrs.,  1890 

Hannum,  Rev.  W.  H.,1890 
Hannum,  Mrs.,  1890 

Hardie,  Miss  M.  H.,     1874-1876 
Hay,  Rev.  L.  G.,  1850-1857 

Hay,  Mrs.,  1850-1857 

*Henry,  Rev.  Alex.,        1864-1869 
Henry,  Mrs.,  1864-1869 

Herron,  Rev.  David,     1855-1886 
*Herron,  Mrs.  (MissM. 

ly.  Browning,  1S55),   1857-1863 
*Herron,  Mrs.,  1868-1874 

Herron,  Miss  C.  B.,        1896 
Hevl,  Rev.  Francis,       1867-1882 
Hodge,  Rev.  A.  A.,        1848-1850 
Hodge,  Mrs.,  1848-1850 


Ii6 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


Holconib,  Rev.  J.  F.,  1S70 
Holconib,  Mrs.,  1S70 

*Hull,  Rev.  J.  J.,  1872-1881 

Hull,  Mrs.,  •      1872-1892 

^Hutchison,  Miss  S.,  1885-1894 
Hyde,  Rev.  J.  N.,  1892 

Inglis,  Rev.  T.  E.,  1884-1892 
Inglis,  Mrs.,  1884-1892 

Irving,  Rev.  David,  1846-1849 
Irving,  Mrs.,  1846-1849 

Irwin,  Rev.  J.  M.,  1890 

Irwin,  Miss  Rachel,  1890 
Jamieson,  Rev.  J.  M.,  1836-1857 

*Jamieson,  Mrs.  R.,        1836-1845 

*Jamieson,  Mrs.  E.McL  1 848-1 856 

*Janvier,  Rev.  Levi,        1842-1864 

*Janvier,  Mrs.,  1842-1854 

Janvier,  Mrs.  (Mrs.  M. 

R.  Porter,  1S49-),       1856-1875 
Janvier,  Rev.  C.  A.  R.,  1887 
Janvier,  Mrs.,  1887 

Jefferson,  Miss  A,,         1891 

*Johnson,  Rev.  A.  O.,     1855-1857 

*Johnson,  Mrs.,  1855-1857 

Johnson,  Rev.  William 
F.,  i860 

*Johnson,  Mrs.,  i860- 1888 

Johnson,  Miss  M.  E-,  1891 
Jolly.  Mr.  John,  1891-1894 

Jolly,  Mrs.,  1891-1894 

Jones,  Rev.  U.  S.  G.,  1888 
Jones,  Mrs.,  1893 

Kellogg,Rev.S.H. 1865-1876:1892 

*Kellogg,  Mrs.,  1865-1876 

Kellogg,  Mrs.  1892 

Kelso,  Rev.  A.  P.,  1S69 

Kelso,  Mrs.,  1869 

Lawson,  Miss  Mary  B.,  1887-1888 
Leavitt,  Rev.  E.  H.,  1855-1857 
Leavitt,  Mrs.  1856-1857 

*Lowenthal,  Rev. 

Isidore,  1855-1864 

IvOwrie,  Rev.  John  C,  1833-1836 

*Lowrie,Mrs.  Louisa  A.,1833-1833 
Lucas,  Rev.  J.  J.,  1870 

Lucas,  Mrs  ( Miss  Sly),  187 1 
Marstou,  Emily,  M.D.  1891 
Martin,  Rev.  E.  D.,  1893 
Martin,  Mrs.  (Miss  C. 

Hutchison),  1891 

McAuley,  Rev.  W.  H.,  1840-1851 
McAuley,  Mrs.,  1840-1851 

McConib,  Rev.  Jas.M.,  1882 
McConib,  Mrs.,  1882 

*McEwen,  Rev.  James,  1836-1838 


McEwen,  Mrs., 

I 836- I 838 

McGaw,  Rev.  A.  G., 

1894 

McGaw,  Mrs., 

1894 

*McMulleu,Rev.  R.  M. 

.1857 

*McMullen,  Mrs., 

1S57 

Meek,  Rev.  C.  C, 

1S95 

Millar,  Miss  S.  J., 

1873-1877 

Minor,  Miss  E.  T., 

1891 

Mitchell,    Miss   Alice, 

M.D., 

1895 

Mitchell,  Rev.  W.  T., 

1896 

Mitchell,  Mrs., 

1896 

*Morris,  Rees, 

1838-1845 

Morris,  Mrs. , 

1838-1845 

Morris,  Miss  Emma, 

1892 

^Morrison, Rev.  John  H 

.1838-1881 

*Morrison,   Mrs.  Anna 

M., 

1838 

*Morrison,Mrs.  Isabella 

,  1839-1843 

*Morrison,  Mrs.  Anna, 

I 846- I 860 

*Morrison,  Mrs.  E.  A., 

187C-1888 

Morrison,   Rev.  W.  J. 

P-, 

1865 

*Morrison,  Mrs.   (Miss 

Thackwell,  1877-), 

1879-1888 

Morrison,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Geisinger), 

1S82 

Morrison,  Miss  H., 

1865-1876 

Morrison, Rev.  Robert, 

,1883 

Morrison,  Mrs.  (Miss 

Annie  Herron,i879-] 

I1SS4 

Morrow,  Miss  M.  J. , 

1890 

*Munnis,  Rev.  R.  M., 

1847-1S61 

Munnis,  Mrs., 

1S51-1861 

*Myers,  Rev.  J.  H., 

1865-1869 

Myers,  Mrs., 

1865-1875 

Nelson,  Miss  J.  A., 

1871-1878 

*Newton,  Rev.  John, 

1835-1891 

*Newton,Mrs.  Elizab'th 

1S35-1857 

*Newtou,  Mrs., 

1866-1893 

*Newton,  John,  Jr., 

M.D., 

1860-1880 

Newton,  Mrs., 

1861-1882; 

1888 

Newton, Rev.  Chas.  B., 

1S67 

*Newton,Mrs.(MissM. 

B.Thompson,  1869), 

1S7 1-1897 

Newton,  Rev.  F.J., 

1870 

Newton,  Mrs., 

1870 

Newton,  Helen  R., 

M.D., 

1S93 

Newton,  Rev.  E.  P  , 

1873 

Newton,  Mrs., 

1874 

*Orbison,  Rev.  J.  H., 

1 850-1869 

*Orbison,Mrs.  Agnes  C. 

1853-1855 

THE    MISSIONS    IN    INDIA. 


117 


Orbisou,  Mrs., 

Orbison,  Rev.  J.  H., 
M.D., 

Orbison,  Mrs., 

Orbison, Miss  Agnes  L. 
*0\ven.  Rev.  Joseph, 
*Oweu,Mrs.AugustaM., 

Owen,  Mrs., 

Patton,  Miss  E.  E., 

Pendleton,  Miss E  M., 

Perlev,  Miss  F., 

"Pollock,  Rev.  Geo.  W., 

PoUo-k,  Mrs., 
^Porter,  Rev.  Joseph, 
*Porter,  Mrs., 

Porter,  Mrs.  M.  R., 

Pratt.  Miss  M.  E., 

Rankiu,  Rev.  J.  C  , 
*Raukin,  Mrs., 
*Reed.  Rev.  William, 

Reed,  Mrs., 
*Rogers,  Rev.  Wm.  S., 

Rogers,  Mrs., 

Rudolph,  Rev.  A., 
*Rudolph,  Mrs  , 
*Rudolph,  Mrs., 

Savage,  Miss  H.  A., 

Sayre,  Rev.  E.  H., 

Savre,  Mrs  , 
*Scott,  Rev.  J.  L., 

1S39-1S67; 
*Scott,  Mrs.  C   M  , 
*Scott,  Mrs.  J.  L., 

1S60-1867; 

Scott,  Miss  Anna  E., 

Seeley,  Rev.  A.  H., 
*Seeley,  Mrs., 
*Seeley,  Rev.  G.  A., 

Seelev,  Mrs., 

Seelev,  Miss  E- J., 

Seilef,  Rev.  G.  W., 

Seiler,  Mrs., 
*Seward,  Miss  S.   C, 
M.D., 

Shaw,  Rev.  H.  W., 

Shaw,  Mrs., 

Simonson,  Rev.  G.  H., 

Stebbins,  Mrs   A.  M., 
*Symes,  Miss  Marv  L., 

Tedford,  Rev.  L.  B., 

Tedford,  Mrs., 

Templin,    Emaca    L., 
M  D., 


1859-1869        Thackwell,  Rev.  Reese, 1859 


'^Thackwell,  Mrs., 


[859-1873 


1886 

Thackwell,  Mrs.  (Miss 

1886 

S.  Morrison,  1S69), 

1S75 

I889-IS96 

Thiede,  Miss  Clara, 

1873 

1 840- 1 870 

Tracv,  Rev.  Thomas, 

1869 

,1844-1864 

Tracy,  Mrs.  (Miss  N. 

1866-1870 

Dickey), 

1870 

1880 

*Ullman,  Rev.  J.  P., 

I 848- I 896 

I882-IS89 

*Ullman,  Mrs., 

I 848- I 890 

I879-I882 

*Vanderveer,  Miss  Jane 

,1840-1846 

I88I-I887 

Velt.e,  Rev.  H.  C, 

1882 

I8SI-I887 

Velle.   Mrs  , 

1892 

I 836-1 853 

Walsh,  Rev.  J.  J., 

1843-1873 

I 836- I 84 2 

Walsh,  Mrs., 

1843-1873 

1849-1856 

Walsh,  Miss  Marian, 

1865-1S66 

1873 

*Walsh,  Miss  Emma, 

1868-1869 

TS4O-1848 

Walsh,  Miss  Lizzie. 

187&-1S82 

184O-I848 

Wanless,  W  J.,M.D  , 

1889 

I833-I834 

Waiiless,  Mrs., 

1S89 

1833-1834 

*Warren,  Kev.  J., 

1836-1S43 

1839- 1854 ; 

1873-1877 

1S36-1843 

"^Warren,  Mrs., 

I 839- I 854 

1S46-1S88 

Warren,  Mrs., 

1S73 

1S46-1849 

Wherry,  Rev.    E.  M., 

1S5I-1885 

D.D., 

1867-1889 

1888 

Wherrv,  Mrs  , 

1867-1889 

I 863- I 870 

Wherry,  Miss  S.  M., 

1879 

I 863- I 870 

*Wilder,  Rev.  R.  G., 

1870-1876 

Wilder,  Mrs.,  1S70  1876 

i;i887 

1S77-183O 

Wilder,  Miss  Grace  E., 

1887 

IS39-1848 

Wilder,  Rev.  R.  P., 

1892 

Wilder,  Mrs., 

1892 

1S77-1S92 

Williams.  Rev.  R.  E., 

1852-1861 

1874-1892 

Williamson, Miss  C.J.  i882-'84-'95 

1846-1854 

Wilson,  Rev.  H    R  , 

1S3S-1846 

1846-1S53 

*Wilson,  Mrs., 

1838-1S46 

I.-.70-I887 

Wilson,  Rev.  James, 

1 838- 1 85 1 

1879-1SS7 

Wilson.  Mrs.. 

1S38-1851 

1879-1889 

*  Wilson,  MissM.  N., 

1873-1879 

1870-1893 

Wilson,  Rev.  Edgar M 

.1S94 

1881-1895 

Woodside,  Rev.  J.  S., 

1S4S 

*Woodside,  Mrs., 

1848-1888 

1873-1891 

Woodside,  Mrs.,  (Mrs 

1850-1855 

Leavitt). 

1890 

1850-1855 

'Woodside,  Miss  J., 

1S68-1889 

1893 

*Wray,  Rev.  John, 

1842-1849 

1893 

Wray,  Mrs., 

1842-1S49 

i8S-i-i894 

Wyckoff,  Rev.  D   B., 

1880 

1860-1875; 

1S83-1896 

1880 

Wyckoff,  Mrs., 

i860- 1875; 

I 883-1 896 

1893-1894 

Wynkoop,Rev.T.S.,i868-'77;  91 

Il8        HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  MISSIONS  IN  INDIA. 


Books  of  Reference. 

Asiaiic  Studies.     Sir  Alfred  Lyall. 

Bits  About  India.     Helen  H.  Holcomb.     |i.oo. 

Buddhism:  In  its  Connection  with  Brahmanism  and  Hinduism. 
Sir  Monier  Williams. 

Conversion  of  India.     George  Smith. 

Everyday  I^ife  in  India.     By  Rev.  A.  D.  Rowe.    I1.50. 

From  Darkness  to  Light  (Telegu  Awakening).  J.  E.  Clough. 
I1.25. 

Hindoo  Life.     75  cents. 

History  of  A.  P.  Missions  in  India.     By  Rev.  J.  Newton,    fi.oo. 

History  of  India.     James  Grant.     2  v.     |io.oo. 

History  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India.     M.  A.  Sherring. 

India.     Fannie  Roper  Feudge.     $1.50. 

India  and  Indian  Missions.     Alexander  Duff,  D.D. 

India:   Historical,  Pictorial  and  Descriptive      C.  H.  Eden.    $2.00. 

India  Missions,  Semi-Centennial  Celebration,  1884. 

India.     Sir  John  Strachey. 

Indian  Buddhism.     T.  W.  Rhys  Davids. 

Indian  Missions.     Sir  Bartle  Frere. 

Indian  Mutiny.     Alexander  DuflF,  D.D. 

Islam;  or  the  Religion  of  the  Turk.    E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D.    35  cents. 

Kardoo.     Miss  Brittan.     ^1.35. 

Life  and  Travel  in  India.     A,  H.  Leonowens. 

Life  by  the  Ganges.     Mrs.  Mullens      80  cents. 

Life  in  India.    John  W.  Dulles,  D  D.     fi.co. 

Life  of  Alexander  Duff.     G.  Smith,     f2.r0. 

Life  and  Times  of  Carey,  Marshman  and  Ward. 

Life  of  Bishop  Reginald  Heber. 

Life  of  William  C.  Burns.     Islay  Burns. 

Martyrs  of  the  Mutiny.     50  cents. 

Memoirs  of  John  Scudder.     $1.25. 

Memoirs  of  Rev.  Joseph  Owen,  D.D.     J.  C.  Moffatt. 

Missions  of  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  in  India  and  Ceylou.  S.  C.  Bartlett. 
$1.50. 

Missionary  Life  Among  the  Villages  of  India.  T.J.  Scott.   So  cts. 

Modern  India  and  the  Indians.     Sir  Monier  Williams      145. 

Modern  Hinduism.     W.  F.  Williams.     i6s. 

Pictures  of  Hindoo  Life.     30  cents. 

Religions  of  India.     F.  Max  Miiller.     105.  6d 

Scenes  in  Southern  India.     Mrs.  Murray  Mitchell.     |i.oo. 

Shoshie,  the  Hindu  Zenana  Reader.     Miss  Brittan.     f  1.25. 

The  High  Caste  Hindu  Woman.     Pundita  Ramabai.     I1.25. 

The  Cross  in  the  Land  of  the  Trident.  By  Harlan  P.  Beach. 
50  cents. 

Two  Years  in  Upper  India.     Rev.  John  C.  Lowrie.     $1.50. 


Japan 


(9) 


rill  s  5 III  |iii|s?|.j|i.3'iipi|g  g 

'J-P;    I    =|f;tli^|-|Sg-|.f3|-||||g:^.-o=    5, 


JAPAN. 


The  islands  which  compose  the  Japanese  empire 
The  Country  stretch  in  a  crescent  shape  along  the  northeast- 
ern coast  of  Asia,  from  Kamtchatka  on  the 
north  to  Korea  on  the  south,  embracing  an  area  of  about 
160,000  square  miles.  They  are  very  numerous,  but  the 
four  islands  of  Yezo,  Niphon  (or  more  accurately  Hondo), 
Shikoku  and  Kiushiu  form  the  great  portion  of  the  empire. 
The  climate,  except  in  the  very  northern  islands,  is  mild  and 
healthful.  The  heats  of  summer  are  tempered  by  the  sur- 
rounding ocean,  and  the  Kuro-shiroo  or  Gulf  Stream  of  the 
Pacific,  which  washes  the  eastern  shores  of  these  islands, 
mitigates  the  severity  of  the  winter.  In  location  and  climate 
there  is  a  striking  similarity  between  these  islands  and  those 
of  the  British  empire,  so  that  Japan  may  be  called  the  Great 
Britain  of  the  East.  The  great  mountain  chain  which  forms 
the  backbone  of  the  islands  is  broken  by  frequent  valleys, 
exceedingly  fertile,  and  opening  out  to  the  sea  in  small  but 
fruitful  plains.  The  skies  are  clear  and  beautiful,  and  nature 
clothes  itself  in  its  brightest  robes  of  green.  It  is  a  land  of 
fruits  and  flowers,  and  its  hills  are  stored  with  the  choicest 
minerals.  At  the  census  of  1888  the  population  of  the 
empire  was  40,000,000. 

A  fertile  soil,  healthful  air,  temperate  climate,  abundant 
food,  and  comparative  isolation  from  other  nations,  with  that 
subtle,  ever-present  sense  of  uncertainty  which  clings  to  all 
volcanic  regions,  have  shaped,  to  a  large  extent,  the  charac- 
ter and  history  of  the  people 

The  Japanese  are  a  kindly  people,  impressible, 
The  People  quick  to  observe  and  imitate,  ready  to  adopt 
whatever  may  seem  to  promote  their  present 
good,  imaginative,  fond  of  change  and  yet  withal  loyal  to 
their  government  and  traditions.  The  long  and  bloody 
strifes  which  have  marked  their  history  have  not  only  left 
their  impress  in  a  strong  martial  spirit,  but  have  naturally 
resulted  in  separating  the  people  into  two  great  classes,  the 
ScDiiurai  or  military — who  in  Japan  are  at  the  same  time  the 
literati,  holding  both  the  sword  and  the  pen— and  the 
hti-min  or  agriculturists,  merchants  and  artisans.  The 
(9) 


122  HISTORICAL   vSKETCH    OF 

distinction  holds  not  only  in  their  social  but  in  their  intel- 
lectual and  moral  character.  What  is  descriptive  of  the  one 
class  is  not  necessarily  true  of  the  other.  The  ruling  or 
military  class  are  intelligent,  cultured,  courteous,  restless, 
proud,  quick  to  avenge  an  affront,  ready  even  to  take  their 
own  lives  upon  any  reproach, — thinking,  apparently,  that 
the  only  thing  that  will  wash  out  a  stain  upon  their  honor  is 
their  own  blood.  The  more  menial  class  are  low,  supersti- 
tious, degraded,  but  more  contented.  The  average  Japanese 
is,  however,  comparatively  well  educated,  reverent  to  elders, 
obedient  to  parents,  gentle,  affectionate,  and,  as  far  as  this 
life  is  concerned,  indifferent,  and,  in  that  sense,  happy.  But 
there  is  a  sad  want  of  the  higher  moral  virtues.  Truth, 
purity,  temperance,  unselfish  devotion,  self-denial,  love  to 
men,  are  not  prominent  virtues:  they  are  lamentably  want- 
ing. Even  that  obedience  to  parents  which  may  be  regarded 
as  their  characteristic  virtue,  has  been  carried  to  such  an 
extent  practically,  is  held  so  fully  without  any  limitations  in 
personal  rights  or  conscience,  that  it  actually  proves  "the 
main  prop  of  paganism  and  superstition,  and  is  the  root  of 
the  worst  blot  on  the  Japanese  character — the  slavery  of 
prostituted  women. ' '  The  idea  of  chastity  seems  almost  to 
have  perished  from  the  Japanese  life. 

The  history  of  Japan  falls  into  three  great 
The  History     periods.     The   lines   of    division   are    so  well 

marked  that  all  writers  recognize  them.  The 
first  stretches  into  the  remote  past,  and  comes  down  to  about 
the  middle  of  the  twelfth  century.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  the 
aborigines  have  gradually  retired  before  a  stronger  foreign 
power,  until,  partly  by  destruction  and  partly  by  amalgama- 
tion with  their  conquerors,  they  have  well-nigh  disappeared. 
The  pure  Ainos — or  the  original  inhabitants — are  now  found 
only  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  islands.  The  Japanese 
are  evidently  a  mixed  race;  but  the  early  immigrants,  judging 
from  the  language,  had  no  affinity  with  the  Chinese,  but 
were  Tartars  or  Mongolians  from  central  Asia,  who  came  to 
Japan  by  way  of  Korea,  while  another  element  of  the  popu- 
lation is  supposed  to  be  of  Malay  origin.  The  present 
Mikado  or  emperor  of  Japan  traces  his  line  back  in  unbroken 
succession  to  about  660  b.  c,  when,  according  to  their  tradi- 
tion, Jimmu  Tenno,  the  first  Mikado — sprung  from  the  sun- 
goddess — landed  upon  the  islands  with  a  few  retainers,  and, 
after  a  severe  and  protracted  struggle  with  the  natives, 
established  the  empire.     The  dynasty  thus  founded  has  never 


THE    MISSION.S    IN   JAl'AN.  I23 

lost  its  hold  upon  the  people,  who  regard  the  emperor  as 
divine,  and  whose  loyalty  has  its  support  and  strength  in 
their  religion.  Its  actual  power,  however,  has  been  liable 
to  great  fluctuations.  The  ruling  prince  found  it  diflicult  at 
times  to  restrain  the  power  and  pride  of  his  nobles,  or  daii/iios. 
They  were  restless,  ambitious,  wielding  absolute  power  in 
their  own  domain,  and  chafing  under  restraints — rendering 
oftentimes  a  formal  rather  than  a  real  allegiance  to  the 
supreme  ruler.  It  was  not  an  unnatural  step,  therefore, 
when  Yoritomo,  one  of  these  powerful  nobles,  employed  by 
the  emperor  to  subdue  his  rebellious  subjects,  usurped  the 
entire  executive  authority,  and  thus  closed  the  first  period 
of  the  history. 

The  second  period  reaches  from  the  origin  of  this  dual 
power  in  the  state — 1143  a.d. — until  the  restoration  of  the 
imperial  authority  in  1 868.  Yoritomo  never  claimed  the  posi- 
tion or  honor  of  emperor.  He  was  not  a  rival  to  the  Mikado. 
He  recognized  the  source  of  authority  in  the  divine  line,  but 
under  the  title  of  Shooim  or  general,  exercised  regal  power, 
and  transmitted  his  office  in  his  own  line,  or  in  rival  families. 
The  edicts  of  the  ruling  Shogun  were  in  the  name  of  the 
emperor.  It  was  his  policy  to  assume  only  to  be  the  first  of 
the  princes  under  the  divine  head.  The  title  of  tycoon 
{taikun,  great  lord),  attributed  to  him  by  foreign  powers, 
was  never  claimed  by  him  until  the  treaty  with  Commodore 
Perry  in  1853,  It  was  the  assumption  of  this  title  which 
prepared  the  way  for  his  downfall  and  the  overthrow  of  the 
whole  system  connected  with  him — a  system  which,  like  the 
feudal  system  of  the  Middle  Ages,  having  served  its  pur- 
pose, now  stood  as  a  bar  to  the  nation's  progress,  and  must 
therefore  perish. 

It  was  during  this  period  that  the  papal  missionaries 
under  Francis  Xavier  reached  Japan  in  1549.  Although 
meeting  with  serious  difficulties  in  his  ignorance  of  the  lan- 
guage and  the  opposition  made  by  the  followers  of  the  exist- 
ing religions,  Xavier  was  well  received  and  had  great  success. 
Converts  were  rapidly  multiplied,  so  that  in  about  thirty 
years  there  were  250,000  native  Christians.  But  his  success 
was  due  partly  to  the  doctrines  he  preached — in  contrast  with 
Buddhism  full  of  hope  and  promise^but  mainly  to  the  fact 
that  he  made  the  transition  from  heathenism -to  Christianity 
very  easy.  It  was  largely  the  substitution  of  one  form  of 
idolatry  for  another.  The  political  plans  and  intrigues  of 
the   Jesuits  soon   awakened  the  opposition  of  the  natives. 


124  HISTORICAL   SKUTCH    OF 

The  flames  of  civil  war  were  kindled  and  the  Christians  were 
exterminated,  with  the  decree  over  their  graves:  "  So  long  as 
the  sun  shall  warm  the  earth,  let  no  Christian  be  so  bold  as 
to  come  to  Japan."  The  edict  forbidding  Christianity  was 
followed  by  one  rigidly  excluding  all  foreigners  from  Japan, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  Dutch  traders,  who  under  the 
most  humiliating  conditions  were  allowed  a  residence  in 
Deshima,  a  little  island  in  the  port  of  Nagasaki.  The  Japa- 
nese were  forbidden  to  leave  their  country,  and  those  even 
who  were  driven  from  their  land  by  storms,  or  carried  by 
the  currents  of  the  sea  to  other  shores,  if  they  returned  were 
to  be  put  to  death. 

The  policy  of  entire  seclusion,  so  inaugurated,  was  main- 
tained until  the  treaty  with  Commodore  Perry,  in  1854, 
which  introduces  the  third  period  in  the  history  of  Japan. 
It  would  be  a  mistake,  however  (as  Griffis — "  The  Mikado's 
Empire,"  chap,  xxviii. — has  clearly  shown),  to  attribute 
the  great  revolution  which  then  began,  and  was  completed 
in  the  restoration  of  the  Mikado  to  his  rightful  throne  in 
1868,  solely  to  such  an  event  as  this,  or  to  the  subsequent 
treaties  with  other  western  powers.  No  mere  external 
event  like  this  could  have  fired  the  popular  heart  unless  it 
had  been  prepared  for  it.  Mighty  forces  were  at  work 
among  the  people  tending  to  this  result.  They  were  grow- 
ing restless  under  the  usurpation  of  the  Shogun.  Rival 
families  who  had  been  subjected,  were  plotting  his  destruc- 
tion. The  more  cultivated  of  the  people  were  growing 
acquainted  with  the  facts  and  principles  of  their  earlier  his- 
tory. Men  of  culture  and  influence — scholars,  soldiers, 
statesmen — were  laboring  to  bring  back  the  old  regime. 
The  introduction  of  the  foreigner,  even  in  the  restricted 
degree  in  which  it  was  first  permitted,  only  served  to  hasten 
what  was  already  sure  to  come.  It  was  the  spark  which 
kindled  the  elements  into  a  flame.  But,  whatever  the 
cause,  a  mighty  revolution  swept  over  the  land.  The 
Mikado  resumed  his  power.  The  Shogun  was  compelled  to 
resign  his  position,  the  more  powerful  daimios  were  re- 
moved from  their  fiefs,  the  whole  feudal  system  fell  as  at 
a  single  blow,  and  a  government  administered  like  the 
modern  governments  of  Europe,  was  established.  The 
Mikado,  without  formally  renouncing  his  claim  upon  the 
loyalty  and  homage  of  his  people  on  the  ground  of  his 
divine  descent,  has  come  out  from  his  seclusion,  has  changed 
his  capital  to   the  great  city  of  Tokyo,  moves  among  his 


THK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  125 

people  like  other  princes,  seems  disposed  to  seek  their  inter- 
ests, and  is  makini^  strenuous  elTorts  to  secure  for  Japan  a 
recognized  place  among  the  enlightened  nations  of  the 
world.  It  was  this  treaty  and  the  revolution  which  fol- 
lowed it  which  opened  the  way  for  Christian  work  in  Japan. 

An  event  which  moved  the  entire  nation  to  rejoicing, 
and  stirred  the  hearts  of  all  Japan's  well-wishers  with 
thanksgiving,  was  the  promulgation  of  the  National  Con- 
stitution, in  February,  18S9.  This  pledge  of  the  nation's 
new  existence  as  a  Constitutional  Monarchy  went  into  eflfect 
February  11,  1S90,  and  the  Diet  provided  for,  comprising  a 
House  of  Peers  and  a  House  of  Representatives,  met  for  the 
first  time  November  2gth,  1890.  Freedom  of  conscience 
and  liberty  of  worship  are  guaranteed  to  all. 

In  1894,  the  effort  to  gain  commercial  supremacy  in 
Korea  brought  on  a  war  with  China,  in  which  the  Japanese 
army  and  navy  were  overwhelmingly  victorious.  By  the 
treaty  of  peace  signed  in  1895,  the  Island  of  Formosa  was 
ceded  to  Japan,  as  well  as  a  district  on  the  mainland, 
which  was  later  given  up  for  an  equivalent  in  money.  The 
brilliant  success  of  the  war  greatly  intensified  national  feel- 
ing, and  raised  Japan  to  a  commanding  position  among  the 
eastern  powers. 

The  early  faith  of  the  Japanese  (Shintoism) 
Religion  seems  to  have  been  little  more  than  a   deifica- 

tion and  worship  of  Nature,  and  a  supreme 
reverence  for  their  ancestors  and  rulers,  who  were  not  the 
representatives  of  God,  but  the  divinities  themselves.  Its 
central  principle  is  the  divinity  of  the  Mikado,  and  the  duty  of 
all  Japanese  to  obey  him  implicitly.  "  It  is  in  no  proper  sense 
of  the  term  a  religion.  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  it  could  ever 
have  been  so  denominated."  Whatever  it  may  have  been 
originally,  in  its  revised  form  as  it  now  exists  it  is  little 
more  than  a  political  principle  underlying  the  form  of  gov- 
ernment, and  embodying  itself  in  governmental  laws  and 
regulations.  It  is  the  state  religion,  but  has  a  feeble  hold 
upon  the  masses  of  the  people.  It  does  not  claim  to  meet 
or  satisfy  any  of  the  religious  demands  of  our  nature.  It 
left  the  way  open  for  any  system  which  should  propose  to 
meet  those  demands. 

About  550  A.D.  the  Buddhists  carried  their  faith  from 
Korea  to  Japan.  Buddhism,  originating  in  India,  but  sub- 
sequently expelled  from  its  native  soil,  swept  through  Bur- 
mah,  Siam,  China,  northeastern  Asia  and  Japan,  and  now 


126  HISTORICAL  SKKTCH   OF 

holds  nearly  one-third  of  the  human  race  among  its  adher- 
ents. Theoretically,  it  is  a  system  of  godless  philosophy, 
connected  with  a  relatively  pure  and  elevated  morality. 

But  this  is  not  Buddhism  as  it  came  to  Japan.  In  the 
twelve  hundred  years  of  its  existence  it  had  grown  from  a 
philosophical  system  into  a  vast  ecclesiastical  and  sacerdotal 
system,  with  its  idols,  its  altars,  its  priests  and  ritual,  its 
monks  and  nuns — indeed,  a  Roman  Catholicism  without 
Christ.  It  found  a  congenial  and  unoccupied  soil  in  the 
Japanese  mind,  and,  although  meeting  with  opposition, 
spread  rapidly  until  it  ultimately  embraced  the  great  mass  of 
the  people.  It  reached  its  golden  age,  in  Japan,  about  the 
thirteenth  and  fourteenth  centuries,  a.d.,  when  the  land  was 
filled  with  its  temples,  priests  and  worshippers.-'-  Buddhism  in 
Japan,  has  its  different  sects  or  denominations,  bearing  the 
names  of  its  great  teachers  and  apostles,  varying  almost  as 
widely  in  doctrines  and  customs  as  Protestants  vary  from 
Romanists,  but  still  all  united  in  opposition  to  the  Christian 
faith.  While  it  has  lost  something  of  its  power  and  glory, 
and  deteriorated  in  its  moral  teachings,  it  is  still  the  religion 
of  the  people,  and  presents  the  great  religious  obstacle  to 
the  introduction  and  spread  of  the  gospel. 

Confucius  also  has  his  followers  in  Japan  :  but  as  that 
great  philosopher  never  claimed  to  be  a  religious  teacher, 
never  discussed  or  answered  the  momentous  questions  as  to 
man's  religious  nature,  his  origin  or  his  destiny,  and  re- 
garded man  solely  in  his  political,  social  and  moral  relations 
in  this  life,  Confucianism  cannot  be  regarded  as  a  religion. 
It  offers  no  serious  hindrance  to  the  progress  of  Christian 
missions.  Shintoism  as  the  religion  of  the  state,  allying 
itself  with  modern  secularism  ;  and  atheism  and  Buddhism, 
the  religion  of  the  masses,  are  the  Japanese  rationalism  and 
superstition  which  the  gospel  must  meet  and  overcome. 
Preoaration  for  ^°^  ^^^^  work  the  way  had  been  wonderfully 
the  Gospel  prepared.      The     providence     of     God    was 

clearly  leading  the  Church  to  this  field. 
American  enterprise  had  reached  the  Pacific  Slope,  and  was 
pushing  its  commerce  to  the  eastern  continent,  which  now 
lay  at  its  doors.  The  scanty  information  which  the  civil- 
ized world  had  obtained  through  the  Dutch  traders,  fed  the 

*  The  most  famous  statues  (or  idols)  of  Buddha  are  the  Dai-Butz  (Creat  Bud- 
dha) at  Kamakura  and  Nara.  That  at  Kamakura  is  a  mass  of  copper  about  fifty 
feet  high.  The  Nara  image  is  larger,  although  uot  so  perfect  as  a  work  of  art.  It 
is  fifty-three  aud  a  half  feet  high  ;  its  face  is  sixteen  feet  long  and  nine  feet  wide. 
It  is  a  bronze  composed  of  gold,  tin,  mercury  and  copper . 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  1 27 

desire  to  know  more.  The  necessities  of  commerce  .seemed 
to  demand  that  the  long  sechision  should  cease.  On  the 
other  hand  there  had  been,  as  we  have  seen,  a  great  awaken- 
ing among  the  Japanese  them.selves.  The  spirit  of  inquiry 
which  led  their  scholars  back  into  their  earliest  records, 
turned  their  thoughts  also  to  the  outlying  world.  Imager 
and  searching  questions  were  put  to  the  Dutch  traders.  A 
dim  conception  of  the  superior  power  and  civilization  of  the 
western  world  began  to  dawn  upon  their  minds.  The  more 
thoughtful  were  longing  for  a  clearer  knowledge  of  the  out- 
side world,  and  desired  to  break  through  the  barriers  which 
had  so  long  shut  them  in. 

At  this  juncture,  in  1853,  a  small  American  squadron 
under  Commodore  Perry,  sent  in  no  .spirit  of  conquest  but 
in  the  interest  of  humanity,  to  secure  better  treatment  for  our 
shipwrecked  sailors  and  provisions  for  our  whaling  ships, 
appeared  in  Japanese  waters,  and  succeeded  in  opening  the 
long-sealed  gates. 

Perry  negotiated  a  treaty  of  friendship,  which  permitted 
American  consuls  to  reside  at  Thimoda  and  Hakodate. 
Mr.  Townsend  Harris  was  appointed  to  Thimoda,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  making  a  treaty  of  commerce  to  take  effect  July 
4,  1859,  opening  the  ports  of  Yokohama  and  Nagasaki  to 
foreign  residents.  There  was  no  mention  made  of  Christi- 
anity in.  this  treaty.  Treaties  with  other  powers  soon  fol- 
lowed, granting  larger  privileges.  The  custom  of  trampling 
on  the  cross  was  soon  after  discontinued,  at  the  request  of 
the  Foreign  Ministers,  but  the  edicts  against  Christianity 
continued  in  force  until  1873. 

Mission  Work  in  Japan. 

The  Christian  Church  was  watching  with  intense  interest 
the  steps  by  which  Japan  was  opened  to  the  civilized  world. 
As  early  as  1855,  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Mis.sions 
requested  D.  B.  McCartee,  M.D.,  one  of  its  missionaries  in 
China,  to  visit  Japan  and  make  inquiries  preparatory  to 
sending  forth  a  laborer  to  this  long  inaccessible  field.  The 
Board  believed  Dr.  McCartee  to  be  peculiarly  qualified  for 
•this  important  pioneer  work,  and  hoped,  if  his  reports  were 
favorable,  to  enter  immediately  upon  the  work  there.  Dr. 
McCartee  went  at  once  to  Shanghai,  but  was  unable  to 
obtain  a  passage  thence  in  any  vessel  to  the  Japanese  ports, 
and  after  some  delay  returned  to  his  work  at  Ningpo.  The 
way  was  not  yet  open.     It  was  thought  to  be  impracticable 


128  HISTORICAL   vSKETCH    OF 

then  to  establish  the  mission  contemplated,  and  the  Board 
waited,  watching  for  the  first  favorable  indication.  After 
three  years  of  waiting,  the  favorable  indication  was  seen; 
the  Executive  Committee  reported  that  in  their  judgment 
the  way  was  open,  and  that  it  was  the  duty  of  our  Church 
now  to  take  part  in  this  great  work.  Dr.  James  C.  Hepburn 
and  his  wife,  formerly  missionaries  in  China,  but  then  resid- 
ing in  New  York,  where  Dr.  Hepburn  had  secured  a  hand- 
somely remunerative  practice,  were  appointed  by  the  Board, 
and  sailed  for  Shanghai,  on  their  way  to  Japan,  April  24, 
1859.  Rev,  J.  L.  Nevius  and  his  wife,  on  account  of  the 
failure  of  Mrs.  Nevius' s  health  in  Ningpo,  were  appointed 
by  the  Board  to  be  associated  with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn 
in  the  new  mission.  Thus  our  Church  was  among  the  first 
to  enter  the  open  field.  Two  clergymen  of  the  Protestant 
Espiscopal  Church  in  the  United  States  reached  Japan  in 
June,  1859.  Dr.  Hepburn  arrived  in  Japan  early  in  October, 
1859,  and  settled  at  Kanagawa,  a  few  miles  from  Yedo  (now 
Tokyo).  Here  a  Buddhist  temple  was  soon  obtained  as  a 
residence;  the  idols  were  removed,  and  the  heathen  temple 
was  converted  into  a  Christian  home  and  church.  The  mis- 
sionaries found  the  people  civil  and  friendly,  inquisitive, 
bright,  eager  to  learn,  apt  in  making  anything  needed,  if  a 
model  were  given  them.  There  was  no  decided  opposition 
from  the  government,  although  it  evidently  knew  who  the 
missionaries  were  and  what  was  the  object  of  their  coming. 
They  were  kept  under  constant  surveillance,  and  all  their 
movements  were  reported  to  the  rulers.  The  circumstances 
in  which  they  were  placed  greatly  facilitated  their  progress  in 
the  study  of  the  language.  Going  without  servants,  and  rely- 
ing entirely  upon  Japanese  workmen,  carpenters,  servants, 
etc.,  they  were  compelled  to  use  the  language,  and  made 
rapid  progress.  Dr.  Hepburn  says,  ' '  The  written  language 
is  no  doubt  more  difficult  than  the  Chinese,  and  the  spoken 
is  nearly  as  difficult,  though  quite  different  in  structure." 
Public  service,  to  which  foreigners  were  invited,  was  estab- 
lished in  their  home,  and  the  mission  work  began — Dr. 
Hepburn,  using  his  medical  skill  and  practice,  as  furnishing 
an  opportunity  to  speak  to  the  sick  and  suffering  of  Christ, 
whose  gospel  he  was  not  permitted  to  teach. 

In  November  1859,  Rev.  S.  R.  Brown,  D.  B.  Simmons, 
M.D.,  and  the  Rev.  G.  F.  Verbeck,  .sent  by  the  Reformed 
(Dutch)  Church  of  America,  settled  at  Kanagawa  and 
Nagasaki. 


THK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  1 29 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Nevius  remained  in  Japan  nine  months 
studying  the  language.  Finding  that  direct  missionary  work 
there  was  then  impracticable  and  there  being  no  indication 
of  favorable  changes  for  the  future,  while  in  North  China, 
just  opened  under  the  recent  treaty,  there  was  an  urgent 
call  for  laborers,  they  obtained  permission  to  return  to  China. 
For  a  time  there  was  some  solicitude  for  the  personal  safety 
of  the  missionaries  in  Japan,  owing  to  a  reactionary  move- 
ment among  the  ruling  classes.  They  were  jealous  of  their 
prerogatives,  and  in  many  cases  eager  for  a  return  to  the  old 
exclusive  policy  of  the  government.  But  the  danger  soon 
passed  away.  While  the  missionaries  were  watched  with 
the  utmost  vigilance,  they  were  not  interfered  wdth,  or  sub- 
jected to  any  restrictions  which  were  not  imposed  upon  other 
foreigners  residing  within  the  empire.  They  could  not  yet  en- 
gage in  direct  missionary  work,  but  were  forced  to  content 
themselves  with  the  work  of  acquiring  the  language,  and  the 
distribution  of  a  few  copies  of  the  New  Testament  in  Chinese, 
which  it  was  found  a  small  portion  of  the  people  could  read. 
Meanwhile  they  were  w^aiting  in  faith,  exploring  the  field, 
watching  for  opportunities  which  might  present  themselves, 
and  acquiring  the  facilities  for  efficient  work  when  the  time 
should  come.  They  found  the  people  eager  for  knowledge, 
fond  of  reading,  and  open  to'  Christian  instruction.  There 
was  a  great  work,  therefore,  in  the  translation  of  the  Scrip- 
tures and  the  preparation  of  religious  tracts,  pressing  upon 
them,  and  the  lone  missionaries  called  earnestly  for  help. 

It  was  found  difficult,  if  not  impossible,  to  remain  at 
Kanagawa,  on  account  of  the  opposition  of  the  Japanese  au- 
thorities to  the  residence  of  foreigners  in  that  place.  Toward 
the  close  of  the  year  1862  Dr.  Hepburn  purchased  a  prop- 
erty for  the  mission  in  Yokohama,  and  .removed  to  that 
place.  It  lay  just  across  the  bay  from  Kanagawa,  but  was 
more  acceptable  to  the  authorities  because  it  was  the  place 
where  other  foreigners  mostly  resided.  Here  he  opened  a 
dispensary  and  hospital,  which  he  was  not  allowed  to  do  in 
Kanagawa.  The  work  in  the  study  of  the  language  and 
the  rough  preliminary  translation  of  the  Scriptures  were 
pushed  forward  with  greater  energy  and  success.  Doors 
were  partly  opened  to  other  work.  Application  was  made 
by  the  Japanese  Government  to  Dr.  Hepburn  to  instruct  a 
company  of  Japanese  youth  in  geometry  and  chemistry.  To 
his  surprise  he  found  these  young  men  far  advanced  in  math- 
ematical studies.     With  this  instruction  in  English,  he  was 


130  HiSTORICAt   SKKTCH    OF 

able  10  connect  lessons  in  Christian  doctrines  and  duties  ; 
and  thus,  though  informally,  he  really  began  to  preach  the 
gospel. 

This  school,  which  was  so  full  of  promise,  was  soon 
broken  up.  The  country  was  in  a  disturbed  state  ;  society 
was  rent  into  parties,  which  were  bitterly  hostile  to  each 
other,  but  all  more  or  less  jealous  of  any  foreign  influence. 
The  young  men  were  called  away  to  fill  posts  in  the  army, 
but  most  of  them  took  copies  of  the  Bible  in  English  and 
Chinese.  In  May,  1863,  the  Rev.  David  Thompson  arrived 
and  began  the  study  of  the  language.  The  missionaries 
could  not  yet  preach  the  gospel  in  the  native  tongue,  but  to 
meet  the  great  desire  of  the  Japanese  to  learn  the  English 
language  and  to  be  instructed  in  western  knowledge,  they 
engaged  in  teaching.  They  found  some  opportunities  in  con- 
nection with  the  government  schools,  in  which  they  had 
been  invited  to  take  part;  and  Dr.  Hepburn  was  already  en- 
gaged in  his  great  work  of  preparing  a  Japanese  and  Eng- 
lish dictionary,  which  he  found  exceedingly  difficult,  but 
which  has  been  so  happily  completed.  The  first  edition  of 
the  dictionary  was  published  in  1867,  and  it  has  proved  of  the 
greatest  service  to  all  English-speaking  missionaries  in  that 
land.  This  finished.  Dr.  Hepburn  wrote  stating  his  strong 
conviction  that  the  time  for  more  direct  work  had  come,  and 
urged  the  Church  to  increase  her  force,  so  that  she  might  be 
able  to  take  her  place  in  that  work.  During  the  year  1868 
the  mission  was  strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Edward 
Cornes  and  his  wife.  The  field  of  work  was  gradually  en- 
larging ;  the  missionaries  enjoyed  freer  intercourse  with  the 
people,  and  their  knowledge  of  the  language  enabled  them 
to  bring  the  truth  more  perfectly  to  bear  upon  the  hearts  of 
those  with  whorn  they  mingled.  In  February,  1869,  Mr. 
Thompson  was  permitted  to  baptize  three  converts,  two  of 
whom  were  men  of  good  education  and  talent,  and  one,  an 
aged  woman.  Although  the  government  had  not  repealed 
the  edicts  against  Christianity — indeed  had  republished  them 
as  soon  as  the  Mikado  ascended  his  throne — these  converts 
were  not  molested. 

Rev.  C.  Carrothers  and  his  wife  arrived  in  Japan  in  1869, 
and  in  connection  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cornes  and  Mr. 
Thompson,  established  a  new  station  at  Yedo  (now  Tokyo), 
which,  as  the  capital  of  the  country,  and  the  residence  of 
the  Emperor  and  his  court,  afforded  a  wide  field  of  influ- 
ence and  usefulness.     A  special  feature  of  the  work,  grow- 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  131 

ing  in  prominence  and  interest,  was  the  number  of  young 
men  who  sought  the  acquaintance  and  instruction  of  the 
missionaries,  and  who  were  destined  to  fill  positions  of  influ- 
ence among  their  countrymen.  Some  of  these  became 
thoughtful  and  interested  students  of  the  Scriptures. 

Tlie  mission  was  greatly  tried  by  the  sudden  death  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cornes  and  one  of  their  children,  in  August, 
1S70.  They  had  just  embarked  on  board  a  steamer  leaving 
Vedo  for  Yokohama,  when  the  boiler  exploded,  and  all  the 
family  but  the  little  babe  were  lost.'  The  Rev.  Henry 
Loomis  and  his  wife  and  the  Rev.  E.  Rothesay  Miller 
joined  the  mission  in  1872, 

From  1859  to  1872  our  missionaries,  with  those  from 
other  churches,  had  been  engaged,  as  we  have  seen,  in  pre- 
paratory work— in  the  study  of  the  language;  in  the  dispen- 
saries and  the  religious  instruction  connected  with  them  ;  in 
translating  the  Scriptures  ;  in  teaching  private  classes  ;  and 
in  the  government  schools.  During  all  this  period  there 
was  no  regular  stated  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  a  native 
audience.  The  edicts  declaring  that  everyone  accepting 
the  "  vile  Jesus  doctrine  "  would  be  put  to  death,  were  pub- 
lished all  over  the  land.  There  was  no  actual  persecution  ; 
there  was,  on  the  contrary,  a  general  belief  that  religious 
toleration  would  be  granted.  The  period  was  one  of  wait- 
ing and  expectation  ;  and  although  it  was  true  that  ' '  God 
led  our  missionaries  into  the  schools,  and  the  kingdom  of 
Christ  entered  Japan  through  the  schools,"  3^et  it  was  felt 
by  all  that  this  state  of  things  could  not  and  ought  not  to 
continue.  It  was  time  to  try,  at  least,  the  public  preaching 
of  the  gospel  and  the  regular  methods  of  church  work. 

But  during  these  years  of  waiting  the  missionaries  had 
witnessed  great  events,  and  events  which  were  full  of  hope. 
The  great  political  revolution  had  been  completed  ;  the 
Mikado  was  seated  on  his  throne  ;  a  new  policy  was  inaug- 
urated ;  wiser  hands  were  holding  the  helm  of  state  ;  moie 
liberal  measures  were  adopted,  and  the  government,  once 
repelling  foreign  intercourse,  now  sought  eagerly  the  ad- 
vantages of  western  commerce  and  civilization.  They  had 
seen  the  departure  and  return  of  that  memorable  Japanese 
embassy  to  the  United  States,  and  the  nations  of  western 
Europe.  They  had  seen  that  wonderful  movement  of 
students  from  Japan  to  Europe  and  America,  and  were  feel- 
ing its  results  in  the  new  life  all  around  them.  Dr.  Ferris, 
in  his  paper  at  the  Mildmay  Conference,  says  : 


132  HISTORICAL  SKKTCH   OF 

"  Returning  to  my  office  in  New  York  City  on  a  chill}^  rainy 
afternoon  in  the  fall  of  1869,  I  found  awaiting  me  a  plain  man  and,  as 
I  supposed,  two  young  Chinamen.  It  proved  to  be  the  captain  of  a 
sailing  vessel  and  two  Japanese  young  men,  eighteen  and  twenty 
years  old.  They  presented  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Mr.  Verbeck 
(a  missionary  of  the  Reformed  Church  of  Japan),  stating  that  they 
were  of  good  family  and  worthy  of  attention.  They  said  that  they  had 
come  to  learn  navigation  and  how  to  make  'big  ships  and  big  guns.' 
They  had  left  Japan  without  the  consent  of  the  government,  and  their 
lives  were  forfeited.  The  young  men  were  well  connected,  and 
through  the  influence  of  their  family  and  the  missionaries,  they  ob- 
tained permission  to  remain  in  the  United  States.  This  was  the 
beginning  of  the  movement  which  has  brought  some  five  hundred 
Japanese  youth  to  the  schools  of  this  country,  and  as  many  more  to 
the  schools  of  Europe." 

Everyone  can  understand  how  much  this  has  had  to  do 
with  the  marvelous  progress  of  Japan.  It  was  influential 
in  originating  and  maintaining  a  system  of  common  schools 
similar  to  that  of  the  United  States,  which  in  1889  em- 
braced thirty  thousand  schools  where  over  three  million 
children  were  under  instruction. 

But  now  the  "  set  time  to  favor  "  Japan  had  fully  come. 
The  new  order  of  things  was  established.  Some  of  the 
statesmen  connected  with  the  government  had  been  pupils  of 
the  missionaries.  Others  had  been  educated  in  this  country. 
A  liberal  policy  was  inaugurated;  all  connection  of  the  state 
with  any  form  of  religion  ceased;  the  signboards  denounc- 
ing Christianity  were  removed,  and  toleration  for  all  forms 
of  religion  became  practically,  though  not  formally,  the  law 
of  the  land.  The  calendar  was  changed  to  conform  with 
that  in  use  among  western  nations,  inchiding  the  weekly  day 
oj  rest. 

The  Japanese  Church  was  born  in  prayer.  In  January, 
1872,  the  missionaries  at  Yokohama,  and  English-speaking 
residents  of  all  denominations,  united  in  the  observance  of 
the  Week  of  Prayer.  Some  Japanese  students  connected 
with  the  private  classes  taught  by  the  missionaries  were 
present  through  curiosity  or  through  a  desire  to  please  their 
teachers,  and  some  perhaps  from  a  true  interest  in  Christi- 
anity. It  was  concluded  to  read  the  book  of  Acts  in  course 
day  by  day,  and,  that  the  Japanese  present  might  take  part 
intelligently  in  the  service,  the  Scripture  of  the  day  was 
translated  extemporaneously  into  their  language.  The 
meetings  grew  in  interest,  and  were  continued  from  week  to 
week  until  the  end  of  February.  After  a  week  or  two,  the 
Japanese,  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  nation,  were 
on  their  knees  in  a  Christian  prayer-meeting,  entreating  God 


THK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  1 33 

with  great  emotion,  the  tears  streaming  down  their  faces, 
that  He  would  give  His  Spirit  to  Japan,  as  to  the  early 
Church  and  to  the  people  around  the  apostles.  These  prayers 
were  characterized  by  intense  earnestness.  Captains  of 
men-of-war,  English  and  American,  who  witnessed  the  scene, 
said,  "  The  prayers  of  these  Japanese  take  the  heart  out  of 
us."  The  missionary  in  charge  often  feared  that  he  would 
faint  away,  "so  intense  was  the  feeling."  Such  was  the 
first  Japanese  prayer-meeting.  A  church  of  eleven  mem- 
bers was  organized  in  Dr.  Hepburn's  dispensary  by  Rev.  S. 
R.  P)rown,  a  missionary  of  the  Reformed  Church.  It  grew 
rapidly  in  numbers,  and  its  members  were  not  only  consisent, 
but  in  many  cases  gave  unmistakable  signs  of  growth  in 
grace.  The  missionaries  of  the  Reformed  Church  and  our 
own  brethren  had  labored  side  by  side,  and  were  now  rejoic- 
ing in  this  first  fruit  of  their  common  toil.  For  a  part  of 
the  time,  indeed,  Mr.  Thompson  had  charge  of  the  church. 
Everything  now  wore  a  cheering  aspect.  The  missionaries 
give  an  outline  of  their  work  as  follows:  "  Necessary  books 
have  been  prepared,  portions  of  Scripture  have  been  trans- 
lated, printed,  and  to  some  extent  circulated,  schools  have 
been  kept  up  and  well  attended,  tracts  and  works  of  elemen- 
tary Christian  instruction  are  in  process  of  preparation,  and 
a  church  is  organized."  They  were  looking  forward  to  a 
constant  and  rapid  growth  in  years  to  come.  Their  hopes 
were  not  unfounded.  F'rom  this  time  the  progress  has  been 
rapid. 

This  year  (1872)  was  marked  also  by  the  entrance  of 
women's  societies  into  this  field  of  Christian  work.  The 
claims  of  their  Japanese  sisters  awakened  a  deep  interest  in 
the  hearts  of  our  women.  A  home  for  single  women  in 
Tokyo  was  established  by  the  Ladies'  Board  in  New  York, 
needed  buildings  were  furnished  and  teachers  supported;  and 
the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  in  Philadelphia 
took  under  their  care  Mrs.  Dr.  Hepburn,  at  Yokohama,  and 
Mrs.  Loomis  and  Mrs.  Carrothers,  in  Tokyo,  and  all  looked 
forward  with  eagerness  and  hope  to  a  large  share  in  the 
Christian  work  in  Japan. 

Two  native  churches,  in  Yokohama  and  Tokyo,  were 
organized  in  the  following  year,  partly  through  the  preach- 
ing and  personal  influence  of  our  missionaries;  but  they  did 
not  connect  themselves  with  the  Presbytery  which  was 
organized  in  December  of  that  year.  Rev.  Olivier  M.  Green 
and  Misses  Youngman  and  Gamble,  gave  needed  strength  to 


134  HISTOKICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  mission,  and  the  whole  work  .of  translating  the  Scrip- 
tures, dispensary  practice,  teaching  and  preaching  was  carried 
vigorously  forward. 

In  1874  the  mission  received  signal  marks  of  divine  favor. 
The  schools  were  in  a  flourishing  state,  and  doing  efficient 
service.  Children  and  youth  were  grounded  in  the  knowl- 
edge and  faith  of  the  Bible.  Two  churches  were  regularly 
organized  under  the  care  of  the  Presbytery,  the  one  in 
Yokohama  and  the  other  in  Tokyo — the  former  consisting 
of  twenty-three  members,  all  on  profession  of  faith,  and  the 
latter  of  twenty-three  also,  of  whom  sixteen  were  received 
on  their  confession  of  Christ.  Each  of  these  churches  was 
represented  in  Presbytery  by  a  native  elder,  and  soon  after 
their  reception  eight  young  men  applied  to  be  taken  under 
the  care  of  the  Presbytery  as  candidates  for  the  ministry. 
After  due  examination  they  were  received,  and  arrangements 
were  made  for  their  training  for  the  work.  Mr.  Thompson 
was  meanwhile  acting  as  the  pastor  of  one  of  the  independent 
churches,  and  had  received  about  forty  into  the  communion 
of  the  church  during  the  year.  The  very  success  of  the 
work  imposed  new  burdens  upon  the  brethren.  The  theo- 
logical class  required  constant  care  and  instruction.  It  was 
easy  to  see  that  much  would  depend  for  the  future  upon  the 
qualifications  and  piety  of  the  native  ministr5^  The  care  of 
the  churches  now  organized,  but  as  yet  without  native  pastors, 
was  heavy  and  constant.  The  schools,  mainly  under  the 
care  of  the  women's  societies,  called  for  new  workers  and 
new  appliances,  in  response  to  which  Mrs.  Carrothers'  school 
at  Tokyo  was  placed  upon  a  new  basis  by  the  prompt  and 
liberal  action  of  the  Philadelphia  Society.  A  lot  was  pur- 
chased and  funds  for  a  suitable  building  promised,  so  that 
this  school  might  be  thoroughly  equipped  for  its  work — a 
work  which  cannot  be  over-estimated  in  its  relation  to  the 
moral  purification  and  elevation  of  Japanese  women,  and  is 
second  only  in  importance  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel. 
While  the  mission  was  reduced  in  numbers  by  the  transfer 
of  some  of  its  members  to  other  evangelical  missions  in 
Japan,  and  by  the  return  to  this  country  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Loomis  on  account  of  ill  health,  it  was  soon  reinforced  by 
the  arrival  of  Rev.  William  Imbrie  and  his  wife  from  this 
country,  and  by  the  appointment  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  C. 
Ballagh,  who  were  already  in  Japan.  The  native  churches 
were  not  only  growing  in  numbers,  but,  what  is  of  greater 
moment,  they  were  manifesting  a  readiness  for  every  Chris- 


THK    MISSIONS    IN  JAPAN.  135 

tian  work — sustaining  the  weekly  prayer-meetings,  and,  in 
connection  with  the  candidates  for  the  ministry,  keeping  up 
preaching  stations  which  have  in  them  apparently  the  germs 
and  promise  of  separate  Christian  churches.  The  church  at 
Tokyo  began  at  once  to  send  out  its  offshoots  in  small  nuclei 
of  Christians,  gathered  in  other  parts  of  the  great  capital 
and  in  adjoining  towns,  which  were  one  after  another  organ- 
ized into  churches.     The  fire  was  spreading  in  all  directions. 

In  1S76  the  report  of  the  missionaries  refers  to  a  move- 
ment on  the  part  of  the  missionaries  of  the  Scotch  United 
Presbyterian  Church,  the  Reformed  (Dutch)  Church,  and 
our  own  brethren,  holding  a  common  faith  and  occupying 
the  same  field,  which  looked  to  the  adoption  of  the  same 
standard  of  faith,  order  and  worship,  and  to  a  closer  union 
in  church  work.  This  incipient  union  was  consummated  in 
the  following  year,  and  the  plan  proposed  was  to  be  referred 
to  the  highest  court  of  each  of  the  denominations  for 
approval.  The  result  was  the  organization  of  the  "  United 
Church  of  Christ  in  Japan,"  an  independent,  self-governing 
Japanese  Church,  in  which  the  missionaries  are  only  advisory 
members.  This  church  has  now  co-operating  with  it  the 
representatives  of  seven  foreign  missionary  agencies,  viz., 
from  the  United  States  of  America— Reformed  (Dutch) 
Church,  Reformed  (German)  Church,  Presbyterian  Church 
(North),  Presbyterian  Church  (South),  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church,  Woman's  Union  Missionary  Society  of 
America;  from  Scotland — the  United  Presbyterian  Church. 
It  is  one  of  the  strongest  bodies  of  Christians  in  Japan. 

An  earnest  effort  was  made  in  1889  to  unite  the  Congre- 
gational churches  with  the  Church  of  Christ,  but  without 
success. 

On  December  3,  1890,  the  United  Church  of  Christ  in 
Japan  dropped  the  word  United  from  its  name,  and  adopted 
as  its  Confession  of  Faith  the  Apostles'  Creed  with  the  follow- 
ing doctrinal  preface: 

"The  Lord  Jesus,  whom  we  adore  as  God,  the  only  begotten  Son 
of  God,  for  us  men  and  for  our  salvation  became  man  and  suffered. 
For  the  sake  of  his  perfect  sacrifice  for  sin,  he  who  is  in  him  by  faith 
is  pardoned  and  accounted  righteous;  and  faith,  working  by  love, 
purifies  the  heart. 

"  The  Holy  Spirit,  who  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  is  worshipped 
and  glorified,  reveals  Jesus  Christ  to  the  soul;  and  without  his  grace 
man,  being  dead  in  sin,  cannot  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God.  By  him 
were  the  prophets  and  holy  men  of  old  inspired;  and  he,  speaking  in 
the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments,  is  the  supreme  and 
infallible  judge  in  all  matters  of  faith  and  living. 


136  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

"  From  these  Holy  Scriptures  the  ancient  Church  drew  its  Con- 
fession; and  we,  holding  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  join  in 
that  Confession  with  praise  and  thanksgiving. 

"  I  believe  in  God  the  Father  Almighty,"  etc. 

The  evangelistic  spirit  of  the  Church  of  Chri.st  is  worthy 
of  all  praise.  It  has  its  own  Board  of  Missions,  to  which 
the  contributions  in  1897  amounted  to  1,500  jye^i  (about  $625 
in  gold).  It  has  begun  work  in  Japan's  new  possession,  the 
Island  of  Formosa. 

The  Union  Theological  School  was  organized  in  Septem- 
ber, 1877,  by  the  missions  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  in 
the  United  States  of  America,  the  Reformed  Church  in 
America  and  the  United  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland, 
The  Union  College  was  organized  in  June,  1883,  by  the 
missions  of  the  American  Presbyterian  and  the  Reformed 
Churches.  In  June,  1886,  these  institutions  were  united, 
and,  with  the  Special  Department  then  organized,  became 
the  J/eiJi  Gakidn,  i.e.,  "  College  of  the  Era  of  Enlightened 
Peace."  In  this  new  institution  the  Union  Theological 
School  became  the  Japanese  Theological  Department,  the 
Union  College  the  Academic  Department,  and  the  Special 
Department  offered  instruction  through  the  medium  of  the 
English  language  in  theology  and  other  special  studies  to 
the  graduates  of  the  Academic  Department  and  to  others 
similarly  qualified. 

The  aim  of  the  Meiji  Gakuin  is  to  provide  for  its  stud- 
ents a  thorough  education  under  Christian  influences,  and 
especially  to  train  young  men  for  the  Christian  ministry. 

The  institution  is  located  at  Shirokanemura,  a  southern 
suburb  of  Tokyo,  about  one  mile  northwest  of  the  railway  sta- 
tion at  Shinagawa.  Sandham  Hall,  Hepburn  Hall  and  Harris 
Hall  contain  recitation-rooms  sufficient  for  the  two  hundred 
and  fifty  students,  with  library  and  chapel,  besides  dormitory 
and  dining-room  accommodations  for  one  hundred  and  fifty 
boarders.  Harris  Hall  was  erected  through  the  liberality  of 
Messrs.  G.  S.  Harris  &  Sons,  of  Philadelphia.  A  theolog- 
ical hall  was  built  in  1891. 

In  1880  the  missionaries  were  permitted  to  rejoice  in  the 
completed  translation  of  the  New  Testament.  In  1888  the 
translation  of  the  Old  Testament  was  accomplished,  thus 
giving  the  whole  Bible  to  the  Japanese.  It  is  a  great  satis- 
faction to  Dr.  Hepburn  and  his  co-laborers  that  he  was 
spared  to  put  the  finishing  touch  to  this  great  work.  It 
bids  fair  to  take  rank  among  the  best  translations  ever  made. 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  1 37 

Dr.  Hepburn  has  also  translated  and  published  the  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  the  Book  of  Discipline,  the  Shorter  Cate- 
chism, and  a  Bible  Dictionary. 

Two  monthly  religious  papers  are  published,  and  many 
books  and  tracts. 

It  was  only  to  be  expected  that  an  advance  so  unprece- 
dented should  be  followed  by  reaction.  The  years  1SS9-90 
were  a  period  of  great  political  activity  and  intense  national 
feeling,  taking  the  form  of  violent  prejudice  against  foreign- 
ers and  foreign  teachings,  which  was  fostered  by  political 
leaders  for  their  own  advantage.  The  result  was  seen  in  the 
decreased  attendance  upon  the  mission  schools  and  in  the 
growing  impatience  of  anything  like  foreign  control  in 
church  affairs.  A  strong  feeling  prevailed  that  those  who 
became  Christians  were  faithless  to  their  national  traditions, 
and  could  not  be  relied  on  for  patriotic  service.  The  out- 
break of  the  war  with  China  in  1S94  and  the  enthusiasm 
with  which  Christians  as  well  as  others  responded  to  their 
country's  call  did  much  to  remove  this  prejudice.  The  ex- 
citement of  the  campaign  interfered  seriously  wnth  regular 
mission  work,  but  in  many  ways  the  war  was  the  means  of 
opening  wider  doors  to  the  gospel. 

Heretofore  foreign  residents  could  legally  live  only  in 
treaty  ports,  and  could  travel  into  the  interior  only  by  per- 
mission gained  on  a  plea  of  ill-health  or  the  pursuit  of 
science  ;  so  that  missionaries  resided  outside  of  treaty  ports 
only  by  the  courtesy  of  the  authorities.  Since  the  war,  the 
revision  of  treaties,  so  long  demanded  by  Japan,  has  been 
conceded  by  the  western  powers,  giving  her  jurisdiction 
over  all  residents  in  the  empire-  In  return,  foreigners  will 
be  allowed  to  travel  and  settle  in  the  interior  without  hin- 
drance. These  provisions  go  into  effect  after  five  years.  In 
the  meantime,  passports  are  issued  for  a  year,  and  may  be 
renewed,  so  that  missionaries  may  now  go  without  interfer- 
ence to  any  part  of  the  empire. 


Eastern  Japan  Mission. 

Yokohama,    first  occupied  by    our    Board    in 
Yokohama         1S59,  w^as  then  an  insignificant  village  of  fisher- 
men.    Now  it  is  a  city  of  i  So,  000  inhabitants, 
with  many  churches  and  schools.    For  many  years  our  work 
there  w^as  in  charge  of  Dr.  James  Hepburn  whose  wisdom  and 
(10) 


138  HISTORICAL   vSKETCII    OF 

devotion  were  blessed  by  rare  success,  A  beautiful  stone 
church,  erected  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Hepburn  and  their  friends, 
was  dedicated  in  1891.  We  have  now  in  Yokohama  two 
self-supporting  churches,  well  organized  for  work  under 
their  Japanese  pastors.  A  little  school  begun  by  Mrs.  Hep- 
burn in  1S74  has  grown  into  the  large  and  well-conducted 
Sinuiyosfii  day-school,  in  which  hundreds  of  children  have 
received  a  Christian  training  under  Miss  Marsh  (afterward 
Mrs.  Poate),  Miss  Alexander  and  Miss  Case.  The  homes 
of  the  children  are  visited  and  in  them  the  gospel  is 
preached.    A  Sunday-school  for  poor  children  is  maintained. 

Tokyo,  the  capital,  has  been  since  1S69  the 
Tokyo  headquarters  of  our  mission.    The  first  church 

was  organized  in  1873.  The  regular  work  of 
the  churches  is  now  largely  assumed  by  the  Japanese  past- 
ors, leaving  the  missionaries  free  to  superintend  the  evan- 
gelistic work  in  the  city  and  vicinity.  There  are  two 
mission  chapels,  at  each  of  which  for  five  years  past  there 
has  been  a  daily  prayer  meeting,  and  a  preaching  service 
every  night,  with  schools  for  poor  children.  Many  churches 
and  preaching-places  in  the  surrounding  country  are  regu- 
larly visited.  During  the  war  there  were  many  opportuni- 
ties of  reaching  the  soldiers  in  barracks  and  hospitals.  Dr. 
McCartee  was  allowed  to  visit  the  Chinese  prisoners,  to 
whom  he  could  speak  in  their  own  tongue. 

A  training  school  for  Bible- women  was  established  some 
years  since,  and  its  graduates  have  done  efficient  service  in 
the  homes  of  their  people.  The  course  gives  half  of  each 
year  to  the  students  for  country  work.  A  girls'  boarding- 
school,  one  of  the  earliest  agencies  employed  in  Tokyo,  was 
begun  by  Mrs.  Carrothers  in  1871.  Ground  \vas  bought  in 
1876,  in  the  part  of  the  city  where  foreigners  w^ere  allowed, 
and  a  building  erected.  It  \vas  afterward  named  Graham 
Seminary,  in  honor  of  the  President  of  the  New  York 
Woman's  Board.  Three  years  afterward  a  Japanese  lady, 
Mrs.  Sakurai,  who  had  become  a  Christian,  began  a  school 
in  her  own  house,  in  a  district  of  the  native  city  called  Bancho. 
This  was  afterward  committed  to  Mrs.  True  and  Miss  Davis, 
under  whose  devoted  care  it  became  ver}^  large  and  influen- 
tial, having  at  onetime  over  300  scholars.  In  1890  it  was 
thought  wise  to  unite  these  two  schools.  Both  properties 
were  sold,  and  suitable  buildings  erected  near  the  Bancho 
School.  The  buildings  are  known  as  Graham  Hall  and 
Sakurai  Hall,  and  the  school  is  called  the  Joshi  Gakuin.    It 


THl-:    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  I39 

has  now  over  100  pupils,  and  all  the  graduates  are  engaged 
in  Christian  work.  There  are  three  day-schools,  reaching 
about  500  children. 

A  training  school  for  nurses,  planned  by  Mrs.  J.  Ballagh 
before  her  death,  was  begun  by  Mrs.  True  in  1.S86.  It  soon 
outgrew  the  care  of  the  mission,  and  was  transferred  to 
Japanese  supporters.  Miss  Youngman  and  other  ladies 
assist  in  tlie  care  of  a  Leper  Home  supported  by  the  I{din- 
burgli  Mission  to  Lepers,  and  a  Rescue  Home  for  Women. 

At  Takata,  a  large  town  250  miles  northwest  of  Tokyo, 
and  also  in  the  island  of  Sado,  Sunday-schools  and  day- 
schools  arc  carried  on,  superintended  by  the  ladies  of  the 
Joshi  Gakuin. 

The  Hokkaido  (Northern  Sea  Circuit),  one  of 
The  Hokkaido  the  nine  provinces  into  which  Japan  is  divided, 
includes  the  islands  of  Yesso  and  Chisima. 
In  Sapporo,  the  capital,  a  Sunday-school  begun  in  1S87 
by  Miss  S.  C.  Smith  and  Mrs.  Watase,  the  first  graduate  of 
Graham  Seminary,  has  grown  to  a  self-supporting  church, 
with  a  Sunday-school  of  400  children.  An  excellent  girls' 
school  is  taught  by  Miss  Smith  and  Miss  Ro=e.  There  are 
churches  at  Otaru  and  several  other  centres,  from  which 
evangelists  are  sent  out.  This  province  is  now  considered 
the  most  urgent  and  hopeful  field  in  the  empire. 


Western  Japan   Mission. 

The  first  station  occiipied  on  the  western  coast 
Kanazawa         was  Kanazawa,  a  town  of  90,000  inhabitants. 

When  the  first  missionary,  Rev.  T.  W.  Winn, 
went  there  in  1879,  there  was  not,  so  far  as  known,  a  single 
Christian  living  in  the  western  provinces.  Now  every 
important  city  has  its  groups  of  Christians,  and  some  of 
them  vigorous  churches.  Of  these  Kanazawa  has  two, 
under  Japanese  pastors,  w^hile  the  evangelistic  work,  carried 
on  through  seven  Sunday  schools,  three  city  chapels  and 
four  out-stations,  is  superintended  by  the  American  mis- 
sionaries. 

The  three  schools  of  the  station, — the  Children's  School 
under  Miss  Porter  and  Miss  Laffer  ty ,  the  Girls'  School ,  founded 
by  Miss  Hesser,  and  greatly  bereaved  by  her  death  in  1894, 


140  HISTORICAL  SKKTCH   OF 

and  the  Boys'  School, — constitute  one  system,  aiming  to  give 
a  thorough  Christian  training  from  kindergarten  to  college. 
These  schools  have  been  uniformly  well-attended,  although 
this  region  is  the  stronghold  of  Buddhism,  and  much  oppo- 
sition is  met.  An  Orphanage,  carried  on  without  expense 
to  the  mission,  cares  for  thirty  homeless  children. 

Toyama,  30  miles  from  Kanazawa,  was  occupied  during 
1892  by  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leonard,  until  illness  compelled 
them  to  leave.  This  is  a  small  church,  and  the  great  hostility 
shown  by  the  people  makes  it  a  very  difficult  field. 

Osaka,  on  the  Inland  Sea,  one  of  the  imperial 
Osaka  ports,  is  the  second  city  of  the  Empire  in  pop- 

ulation, and  the  first  in  commercial  importance. 
Fifteen  years'  patient  labor  has  resulted  in  two  well-estab- 
lished churches,  with  schools  and  chapels.  The  country 
work  in  the  lyo  district  on  the  island  of  Shikoka  and  the 
Banchu  and  Tamba  districts  northeast  of  the  city  reaches  a 
large  and  encouraging  field. 

A  girls'  school,  with  an  industrial  department,  is  grow- 
ing in  numbers  and  usefulness.  The  primary  school  is 
taught  in  separate  classes  in  different  parts  of  the  city. 

Hiroshima,  on  the  same  coast,  is  next  in 
Hiroshima  importance  to  Osaka.  It  is  a  military  and  naval 
station,  and  some  of  the  first  converts  were 
among  the  soldiers.  A  little  church  was  organized  in  18S3, 
and  the  place  occupied  in  1887  by  Rev.  A.  V.  Bryan,  the 
first  missionary  of  any  name  in  the  region.  The  work  has 
grown  slowly,  in  spite  of  the  peculiar  difficulties  met  in  a 
garrison  town,  and  there  are  now  in  the  city  and  neighbor- 
hood five  churches  and  five  sub-stations.  In  the  war  of 
1894,  Hiroshima  was  for  a  time  the  seat  of  government,  and 
all  regular  work  was  temporarily  suspended.  The  church 
was  rented  by  the  government  for  a  Red  Cross  hospital. 
Kvery  facility  was  given  for  access  to  the  soldiers,  both  in 
barracks  and  hospital,  and  quantities  of  Bibles  and  Christian 
reading  were  distributed  among  them. 

Fukui  is  a  large  town  on  the  highroad  from 
Fukui  Tsuruga  to    Kanazawa.     It  was   occupied  by 

Rev.  G.  W.  Fulton  and  his  wife  in  1891 .  The 
anti-foreign  feeling  is  still  strong  in  this  region  and  most  of 
the  people  belong  to  the  ' '  Buddhist  Alliance, ' '  an  organized 
effort  to  ostracise  all  Christians.  Still  the  church  grows 
slowly,  and  the  patient  laborers  are  looking  for  the  harvest 
time. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN.  14I 

Kyoto,  the  ancient  sacred  capital,  is  the  most 
Kyoto  attractive  city  in  Japan,  and  the  centre  of  artis- 

tic manufactures.  A  church  of  90  members 
was  organized  in  1894,  and  there  are  two  encouraging  Sun- 
day-schools. A  dispensary  reaches  many  poor.  The  mission 
of  the  American  Board  has  its  headquarters  here.  During 
the  Art  Exhibition,  held  here  in  1895,  their  missionaries 
united  with  Mr.  Porter  in  holding  daily  services,  with 
audiences  ranging  from  25  to  200.  Many  of  the  hearers 
were  from  the  country',  and  had  never  heard  the  Word  before. 
Yamaguchi,  in  the  extreme  southwest  of  Hondo, 
Yamaguchi  is  the  centre  of  a  large  population .  The  church 
here  has  an  excellent  pastor,  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Hattori,  and  in  1891,  Rev.  J.  B.  Ayres  and  Rev.  J.  W. 
Doughty  went  to  take  the  over-sight  of  the  outside  work. 
The  most  urgent  field  is  in  the  island  of  Kiushiu,  lying 
opposite,  where  there  are  more  than  five  millions  of  people, 
for  whom  little  has  yet  been  done. 

Eighteen  churches  and  chapels  are  connected  with  Yama- 
guchi. There  is  a  girls'  school  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Ayres  and 
Miss  Bigelow. 

p  This  sketch  of  what  our  Church  has  done  in 

Outlook  ^^^^  ^^^^  would  be  incomplete  if  we  were  to 

fail  to  speak  of  some  of  the  difficulties  that 
accompan}'  work  for  the  Japanese.  They  are  a  very  high- 
spirited  people,  proud  of  their  history  and  very  uneasy 
under  constraint  or  control  if  it  seems  to  come  from  a 
foreign  source.  Just  now,  with  his  easy  aptitude  for  change, 
the  Japanese  thinks  he  should  lead  his  own  church,  and 
develop  his  own  theology.  This  is  a  transition  period,  a 
testing  time  in  which  his  true  moral  strength  will  be  tried. 
A  quick  change  from  the  religion  of  centuries  to  one  un- 
known fifty  years  ago  ;  the  rapid  spread  of  knowledge  ;  the 
multiplying  newspapers  ;  the  constantly  enlarging  schools  ; 
the  higher  education  of  both  men  and  women,  and  the 
favoring  providence  of  God,  controlling  and  shaping  the 
plan's  of  the  rulers  of  the  nation,  and  its  commercial  pro- 
gress,— all  these  are  wonderful  developments  in  a  nation's 
life,  and  it  is  not  strange  that  we  find  them  fraught  with 
dangers  and  difficulties  unforeseen.  It  is  probable  that  the 
hindrance  growing  out  of  the  history  of  the  Jesuit  mission 
has  been  already  removed.  The  intelligent  Japanese  states- 
men doubtless  .see  that  there  is  nothing  in  the  efforts  and 
growth  of    Protestant  evangelical  missions  to  imperil  the 


142  HISTORICAL  .  SKETCH    OF 

Stability  of  the  government.  The  human  heart  in  Japan  is 
no  more  opposed  to  the  gospel,  or  inaccessible  to  it,  than  it 
is  elsewhere.  But  the  same  tendency  in  the  Japanese  mind 
which  leads  it  to  listen  to  the  gospel,  lays  it  open  to  other 
and  hurtful  teachings.  The  government  schools  in  every 
grade  are  essentially  irreligious.  Rationalistic  and  infidel 
teachings  are  not  discouraged  by  the  authorities  ;  indeed, 
they  are  spreading  to  some  extent  among  the  native  Chris- 
tians, and  there  is  as  yet  no  general  Christian  sentiment 
counteracting  their  influence.  The  rush  and  whirl  of  events, 
the  rapid  political  and  social  changes,  the  eagerness  with 
which  the  great  body  of  the  people  are  pressing  into  new 
pursuits  and  a  new  life  are  not  altogether  favorable  to  the 
healthy  and  sure  spread  of  the  gospel.  The  Greek  and 
Roman  Churches,  too,  are  busy.  The  Holy  Synod  of 
Russia  makes  liberal  grants  year  by  year  for  its  mission 
work  in  Japan,  and  sends  out  its  missionaries  under  instruc- 
tion from  the  Czar,  and  in  his  vessels  of  war.  Rome  has 
already  her  three  bishops  and  her  numerous  bands  of  priests 
and  nuns,  and  backed  by  the  power  of  the  French,  hopes  to 
regain  her  lost  position.  It  is  with  these  materialistic  and 
skeptical  forces,  with  these  false  forms  of  Christianity,  as 
well  as  with  heathen  superstitions  and  degradation,  that  the 
Church  must  contend. 

It  is  a  great  mistake  to  imagine  that  missionary  work  in 
Japan  is  no  longer  needed.  Never  was  there  greater  need 
than  at  the  present  time  for  wise,  earnest  and  devoted  mis- 
sionaries, both  in  the  Christian  schools  and  colleges,  and  in 
preaching  a  pure  gospel  and  stirring  up  the  Japanese  Chris- 
tians to  earnest  work  for  their  countrymen.  Although  the 
difficulties  are  many,  there  is  nothing  in  the  prospect  to  dis- 
hearten the  Church,  but  much  to  drive  her  to  prayer,  to 
make  her  feel  the  need  of  greater  consecration  to  Christ  and 
of  greater  zeal  and  efforts  in  His  service,  to  lead  her  back  to 
the  source  of  all  her  strength  in  God,  and  then  lead  her  on 
to  win  this  empire  for  Him. 

STATISTICS   1897. 

Missiouaries 58 

Japanese  ministers  25 

Japanese  woriers 75 

Churches 35 

Communicants 5,269 

Pupils  in  schools... 940 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools ....2,739 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   JAl'AN.  143 

STATIONS,  1897. 

EASTERN  JAPAN.  MISSION. 

YOKOHAMA,  ou  the  bay,  a  few  miles  below  Tokyo;  Mission  begun, 
1S59;  laborers-Miss  Etta  W.  Case,  Miss  A.  P.  Ballagh. 

Tokyo,  the  capital  of  Japan;  station  occupied,  1869;  laborers- 
Rev.  David  Thompson,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Thompson,  Rev.  T.  T.  Alex- 
ander, D.I).,  and  Mrs.  Alexander,  Mrs.  J.  M.  McCauley,  kev.  H  M. 
Landisand  Mrs.  Landis,  Rev.  Theodore  M.  MacNair  and  Mrs.  MacNair, 
Dr  D  B.  McCartce  and  Mrs.  McCartee,  Mr.  J.  C.  Ballagh  and  Mrs. 
Ballagh,  Miss  Isabella  A.  Leete,  Miss  Kate  C  Youngman,  Miss  A.  K. 
Davis,  Miss  Annie  R.  West,  Miss  Bessie  P.  Millikeu  and  Miss  Sarah 
Gardner. 

Hokkaido,  Sapporo— O tarn.— S&^^oro  is  the  capital  of  the  Hok- 
kaido (Yezo),  550  miles  north  of  Tokyo;  station  occupied,  1S97; 
laborers-Miss  S.  C.  Smith  and  Miss  C.  H.  Rose.  Otaru  is  the  western 
port  of  the  Hokkaido,  550  miles  north  of  Tokyo,  occupied,  1894; 
laborers— Rev.  George  P.  Pierson  and  Mrs.  Pierson. 

WESTERN  JAPAN   MISSION. 

Kan\zawa,  on  the  west  coast  of  the  main  island,  about  i^  miles 
northwest  of  Tokyo;  station  occupied,  1879;  laborers- Rev.  Thomas 
C  Winn  and  Mrs.  Winn,  Rev.  W.  Y.  Jones,  Rev.  Harvey  Brokaw  and 
Mrs.  Brokaw,  Miss  F.  E.  Porter,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Naylor  Miss  Kate  Shaw, 
Miss  Emma  L.  Settlemyer,  Miss  Mary  M.  Palmer;  out-station, 
Toyama;  4  out-stations;  Rev.  Y.  Voda,  Rev.S-  Takagi;  5  licentiates, 
and  37  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

OSAKA,  a  seaport  on  the  main  island,  about  20  miles  from  Hiogo; 
station  occupied,  18S1;  laborers-Rev.  B.  C.Haworth  and  Mrs. 
Haworth,  Miss  Ann  E.  Garvin,  Miss  Alice  R.  Haworth,  Miss  M.  E. 
McGuire  and  Miss  Stella  M.  Thompson;  Rev.  N.  kamegama  Rev.  N. 
Aoki,  Rev.  J.  Suzuki;  7  licentiates,  and  19  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Hiroshima,  on  the  Inland  Sea;  station  occupied,  18S7;  laborers- 
Rev  Arthur  V.  Bryan  and  Mrs.  Bryan,  and  Rev.  J.  W.  Doughty  and 
Mrs.  Doughty;  4  out-stations,  one  native  preacher,  7  licentiates,  and  3 
Bible-women. 

Kyoto,  station  occupied,  1890;  laborers— Rev.  J.  B.  Porter  and 
Mrs.  Porter,  Miss  Martha  E.  Kelly;  2  out-stations;  Rev.  Yoshioka;  4 
licentiates,  and  6  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Yamaguchi,  occupied  1S91;  laborers-Rev.  J.  B.  Ayres  and  Mrs. 
Avres  Rev.  S  F.  Curtis  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  and  Miss  Gertrude  L.  Bige- 
low-  21  out-stations;  Rev.  S.  Hattori,Rev.  Y.  Ota,  Rev.  /.)  omega wa, 
Rev  S.  Aoyama;  11  licentiates,  and  12  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

FUKUI,  station  occupied  1891;  laborers— Rev.  G.  W.  Fulton  and 
Mrs.  Fulton;  2  out-staticns,  4  licentiates  and  6  native  helpers. 


144  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


Japanese  in  the  United  States. 

In  1885  mission  work  was  begun  by  the  Presbyterian 
Board  among  the  2500  Japanese  on  the  Pacific  Coast,  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Sturge,  formerly  of  the  Siam  Mission,  being  the 
first  to  take  charge  of  this  branch  of  work.  The  Japanese 
who  came  to  California  at  first  were  students,  but  more 
recently  they  have  been  laborers,  farm  hands,  artisans,  etc., 
many  of  the  students  having  returned  home.  Japanese 
women  are  also  coming,  and  schools  for  them  and  for  chil- 
dren are  being  opened.  More  than  half  of  the  whole  num- 
ber of  these  immigrants  are  persons  who  have  been  baptized 
by  missionaries  in  Japan,  so  that  the  character  of  this  im- 
migration is  quite  different  from  the  Chinese.  These  new- 
comers frequently  bring  letters  from  their  church  in  Japan 
to  the  Presbyterian  Mission,  and  are  at  once  commended  to 
the  care  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  Association  in  San  Francisco.  A 
Japanese  church  has  been  formed  and  is  ministered  to  by  a 
licentiate  of  the  United  Church  of  Christ  in  Japan.  It  has 
received  altogether  216  members. 

The  Board  has  no  more  promising  work  than  that  among 
the  Japanese  of  San  Francisco.  The  entire  expense,  except 
for  the  salaries  of  the  missionary  and  his  assistants  is  borne 
by  the  young  men  themselves.  In  the  Japanese  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  there  are  100  young  men,  each 
of  whom  pays  $6  yearly  toward  the  work  of  the  institution. 
A  dormitory  in  this  building  accommodates  35  men.  A 
second  home  on  Sacramento  Street  is  filled  and  well  sup- 
ported by  the  young  men.  Two  preaching  services,  two 
Sunday-schools,  and  meetings  for  prayer  are  held  every 
Sunday.  Bible-classes,  temperance  societies  and  Y.  M.  C. 
Associations  have  been  started  in  various  places  on  the 
coast.  The  Japanese  Consul  has  shown  much  interest  in 
the  different  branches  of  work. 


Missionaries  in  Japan,  1859-1897. 

*  Died.    Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  Field. 

Alexander,  Rev.  T.  T  ,1877  Ayres,  Mrs.,  18S8 

Alexander,  Mrs.,  1S77  Babbitt,  Miss  E-,  1895-1896 

Alexander,  Miss  C.  T.,  1880-1S92         Ballagh,  Mr.  J.  C,  1875 

Ayres,  Rev.  J.  B.,  1888  *Ballagh,  Mrs.  I,.  E.,  1875-1884 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   JAPAN. 


145 


Ballagh,  Mrs., 
Ballagh,  Miss  A.  P  , 
Bigelow,  Miss  G.  L., 
Brokaw,  Rev.  H., 
Brokaw,  Mrs., 
Brown,  Miss  Bessie, 
Bryan,  Rev.  A.  V., 

*Bryan,  Mrs., 
Bryan,  Mrs., 
Carrothers,  Rev.  C, 
Carrothers,  IMrs.  J.D., 
Case,  Miss  Etta, 

*Cornes,  Rev.  Edward, 

*Cornes,  Mrs  , 
Curtis,  Rev.  S.  F., 
Curtis,  Mrs., 
Cuthbert,  Miss  M.  N., 
Davis,  Miss  A.  K., 
Doughty,  Rev.  J   W., 
Doughty,  Mrs., 
Eldred,  Miss  C.  E., 
Fisher,  Rev.  C.  M., 
Fisher,  Mrs., 
Fulton,  Rev.  G.  W., 
Fulton,  Mrs., 
Gamble,  Miss  A.  M., 
Gardner,  Miss  Sarah, 
Garvin,  Miss  A.  E., 

*Green,  Rev.  O.  M., 
Gulick,  MissF., 
Haworth,  Rev.  B.  C, 
Ha  worth,  Mrs., 
Haworth,  Miss  A.  R., 
Hayes,  Rev.  M.  C, 
Hayes,  Mrs.. 
Havs,  Miss  Emma, 
Hearst,  Rev.  J.  P., 
Hearst,  Mrs., 
Henry,  Miss  M.  E., 
Hepburn,;.  C,  M.D., 
Hepburn,  Mrs., 
*Hesser,  Miss  M.  K., 
Imbrie,  Rev.  William 
Imbrie,  Mrs., 
Jones,  Rev.  W.  Y.. 
Kelley,  Miss  M.  E., 
Knox,  Rev.  G.  W., 
Knox,  Mrs., 
Lafferty,  Miss  Cora, 
Landis,  Rev.  H.  M., 


;8S5 


1886 

1896 

1896 

1892-1 

894 

1882 

1882- 1891 

1893 

I869-I875 

I869-I 

875 

1887 

1868-1 

870 

I868-] 

:870 

1887 

1887 

IS87-] 

[S92 

1880 

1890 

1890 

1877- 

18S0 

1883- 

1S90 

I883-; 

1890 

1889 

1889 

IS73- 

1875 

1889 

1882 

1873- 

1882 

1876- 

1879 

1887 

I8S7 

1887 

1887- 

1892 

1887- 

1892 

1888- 

1891 

1884- 

1892 

1884- 

1892 

IS82- 

1S83 

.  1859- 

1S93 

1859- 

..893 

1882- 

-1894 

,  1875- 

-1894 

1875- 

-1894 

I895 

1893 

1877- 

-1893 

1877- 

-1893 

1888- 

-189 1 

I8S8 

Landis,  Mrs.,  1888 

Leete,  Miss  Isabella  A.,i88i 
Leete,  Miss  Lena,  1881-1886 

Leonard,  Rev.  J.  M.,  18SS-1894 
Leonard,  Mrs.,  1888-1894 

Light,  Effie,  M.D.,  1887-1888 
Loomis,  Rev.  Henry,  1872-1876 
Looniis,  Mrs.,  1872-1876 

Loveland,  Miss  H.  S.,  1889-1S92 
Marsh,  Miss  Belle,         1876-1879 
McCartee,  D.  B.,M.D.,i888 
McCartee,  Mrs.  1888 

*McCauley,  Rev.  J.  M. ,1880-1897 
.  McCauley,  Mrs.,  1880 

McGuire,  Miss  M.  E.,  1889 
McNair,  Rev.  T.  M.,     1883 
*McNair,  Mrs.,  1883-1887 

McNair,  Mrs.,  1895 

McCartney,  Miss  E.,     1884-1885 
Miller,  Rev.  E.  R., 
Milliken,  Miss  E.  P. 
Murray,  Miss  Lily, 
Naylor,  Mrs.  S.  N., 
Palmer,  Miss  M.  M., 
Pierson,  Rev.  Geo.  P.,  1888 
Pierson,  Mrs.,  1895 

Porter,  Rev.  James  B.,  1881 
Porter,  Mrs.  (Miss  Cuni- 

mings,  M.D.,  1883).    18S4 
Porter,  Miss  F.  E.,        1882 
Reede,  Miss  W.  L.,        1881-1888 
Rose,  Miss  C.  H.,  1886 

Settlemyer,  Miss  E.  L.  ,1893 
Shaw,  Miss  Kate,  1889 

Smith,  Miss  S.  C,  1880 

Taylor,  Rev.  A.  G.,       1888-1893 
Taylor,  Mrs.  1888-1893 

Thompson ,  Rev.  David ,  1863 
Thompson,  Mrs.  (Miss 

M.  C.  Parke,   1873),   1873 
Thompson,  Miss  S.  M.,1895 


1872 
1884 
i888- 
1886 
1892 


t875 
[894 


*True,  Mrs.  M.  T.. 
Warner,  Miss  A., 
West,  Miss  A.  B., 
Winn,  Rev.  T.  C, 
Winn,  Mrs., 

*Woodhull,  Rev.  G, 
Woodhull,  Mrs 


1876- 
1885 
1883 
1878 
1878 
188^ 


1896 


1888-1896 


Youngman, Miss  K.M.,  1873 


Among  the  Japanese  in  America,  1887-1891. 

Sturge,E.A.,M.D.,     '87-89;  '91         Sturge,  Mrs.,  '87-89; '91 


146       HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  MISSIONS  IN  JAPAN. 

Books  of  Reference. 

An  American  Missionary  in  Japan.     M.  L.   Gordon,  D.D.     $1.25. 

A  Bundle  of  Letters  from  Japan.     A.  C.  Maclay.     |2.oo. 

AJapanese  Boy.     By  Himself.     75  cents. 

Art  and  Art  Industries  of  Japan.     Sir  R.  Alcock, 

From  Far  Formosa.     Rev.  G.  L.  MacKay,  D.D. 

Grandmamma's  Letters  from  Japan.     Mrs.  M.  Pruyn.     $1.00. 

Honda,  the  Samurai.     Rev.  W.  E.  Griffis.     7^.  6d. 

Japan.     D.Murray.     (Story  of  Nations  Series.) 

Japan  in  Our  Day.     Bayard  Taylor. 

Japanese  Girls  and  Women.     A.  M.  Bacon. 

Japanese  Homes.     E.S.Morse,     fe.oo 

Kesa  and  Saijiro.     Mrs.  J.  D.  Carrothers.     $1.75. 

Life  and  Adventure  in  Japan.     E.  Warren  Clark. 

Missions  of  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  in  Japan.     6  cents. 

Religions  of  Japan.     W.  E.  Griffis. 

Reports  of  Missionary  Conventions  in  Japan,  1878-1SS3. 

Stories  about  Japan.     Annie  R.  Butler. 

The  Ainu  of  Japan.     J.  Batchelor. 

The  Mikado's  Empire.     W.  E.  Griffis.     $1.90. 

The  Real  Japan.     Henry  Norman. 

The  Sunrise  Kingdom.     Mrs.  J.  D.  Carrothers.     I2.00. 

Things  Japanese.     B.  H.  Chamberlain. 

Unbeaten  Tracks  in  Japan.     Isabella  L.  Bird.     $2.00. 


Korea 


KOREA. 


Korea,  long  a  recluse,  has  unbarred  her  doors,  and  per- 
mits herself  at  last  to  be  greeted  b}^  other  civilizations. 
The  traditional  policy  has  been  that  of  strict  isolation,  made 
possible  by  gcoi^raphical  position.  China  indeed  exercised 
a  suzerainty  over  the  land.  The  martial  prowess  of  Japan 
triumphed  there,  and  for  a  brief  season  maintained  a  certain 
supremacy.  The  zeal  of  Roman  missionaries  carried  the 
Cross  beyond  the  border  barriers,  and  planted  it  successfully 
in  the  interior  of  the  kingdom.  These  exceptional  instances 
only  prove  the  rule,  so  sternly  enforced,  that  Korea  should 
remain  silent,  and  be  kept  quite  separate  from  the  world's 
sisterhood  of  States.  But  a  few  years  have  witnessed  a 
marvelous  change  in  this  Sphinx  of  the  nations.  In  the 
wonderful  providence  of  God  every  barrier  has  been  cast 
down,  and  no  outward  obstacle  now  hinders  the  Church 
from  carrying  the  message  of  salvation  to  every  part  of  the 
land. 

Korea  consists  of  a  stretch  of  peninsular  mainland, 
together  with  numerous  adjacent  and  inhabited  islands. 
The  entire  territory  covers  80,000  square  miles,  lying 
between  34°  and  43°  north  latitude  ;  and  extending  from 
125°  to  129°  of  east  longitude.  Its  physical  configuration 
somewhat  resembles  that  of  Italy.  The  coast  line  is  1740 
miles.  On  the  north  flow  the  rivers  Ya-lu  and  Tu-nien, 
which  divide  Korea  from  Manchuria  and  Russian  Siberia. 
Southward  and  westward  are  the  turbid  waters  of  the  Yellow 
Sea.  The  eastern  boundary  is  the  Sea  of  Japan,  as  attrac- 
tive as  it  is  treacherous  ;  across  whose  ferry  of  300  miles  the 
clustered  groups  of  the  "  Sunrise  Land"  appear.  A  moun- 
tain chain  traverses  the  extreme  length  by  a  tortuous  course, 
and  terminates  only  with  the  sea.  East  of  this  range  lie 
three  of  the  eight  provinces  into  which  the  country  is 
divided.  A  picturesque  irregularity — at  times  positive  gran- 
deur— is  characteristic  of  this  section  ;  but  there  is  only  one 
river  of  importance,  while  the  soil  is  less  fertile,  the  climate 
less  agreeable,  and  the  coast  more  repellant  than  on  the 
opposite  side.     Five  fine  rivers,   abundant  coast  facilities, 


I50  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

naturally  good  soil  and  more  genial  climatic  conditions  are 
found  in  the  western  division.  To  these  advantages  must 
be  added  the  attractions  of  the  outlying  Archipelago  ;  a 
wonder-world  to  the  naturalist,  a  revelation  to  the  tourist, 
and  destined  to  become,  when  its  resources  are  developed,  a 
source  of  immense  revenue  to  the  parent  state.  Language 
can  only  inadequately  describe  what  is  seen  amidst  the  intri- 
cacies of  these  unnumbered  islands — large  and  small.  Some 
are  mere  columns,  weird  and  worn,  against  which  the  waves 
beat,  and  in  whose  crevices  the  sea  birds  find  shelter. 
Others,  more  extensive,  seem  to  be  pleasant  garden-spots, 
where  a  score  of  men  or  the  same  number  of  families  find 
support.  And  here  and  there  rise  veritable  mountains,  one 
of  which  is  2,000  feet  high. 

The  winters  up  toward  the  Manchurian  frontier  are  of 
course  very  severe — even  more  so  than  the  latitude  would 
naturally  indicate.  Further  south,  the  climate  has  a  range 
similar  to  that  met  with  in  America  between  the  New  Eng- 
land and  the  Gulf  States.  The  rainfall  is  apt  to  be  excess- 
ive, and  harsh  and  persistent  winds  prevail  in  the  late 
autumn.  Yet  the  stalwart  forms  of  the  natives  would  seem 
to  prove  the  salubriousness  of  the  air,  and  the  average 
health  fulness  of  the  kingdom. 

The  products  might  be  as  varied  as  within  similar  geo- 
graphical limits  in  our  own  land,  but  as  a  matter  of  fact 
agriculture  is  conducted  on  primitive  principles,  and  the 
people  are  content  if  they  secure  a  mere  livelihood  from  the 
soil.  Pernicious  laws — the  outgrowth  of  a  feudalism  by  no 
means  extinct — tend  to  the  repression  of  private  enter- 
prise, prevent  the  ownership  of  land  by  the  poorer  classes, 
and  contribute  to  the  support  of  large  estates,  which  gener- 
ally, however,  have  lapsed  into  a  condition  of  inferiority,  if 
not  of  positive  decay.  In  this  particular  the  country  has 
degenerated.  Its  productions  in  the  past  excelled  those  now 
found,  as  regards  both  quantity  and  quality. 

Besides  the  corn,  millet,  rice,  barley  and  beans  upon 
which  the  people  depend,  hemp,  cotton,  tobacco,  and  gin- 
seng are  cultivated  extensively.  Silk  is  also  produced  on 
plantations  of  mulberry  and  "scrub"  oak,  grown  for  the 
purpose  of  feeding  the  worms.  There  is  a  sufficient  range 
of  fruit  ;  apricots,  peaches,  persimmons  and  melons  are  of  a 
fine  quality  ;  flowers  are  universally  admired,  and  cultivated 
as  extensively  as  private  means  permit.  The  wealthier  fam- 
ilies vie  with  each  other  in  chrysanthemum  exhibits  each 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN    KORKA.  I5I 

3'ear.  The  domestic  animals  wilh  which  we  are  famiHar, 
except  the  sheep,  are  to  be  had  in  Korea.  A  breed  of 
ponies — rivaling  the  Shetland  in  size — should  make  child- 
life  there  a  perpetual  joy.  Unfortunately  the  little  animals 
are  only  used  as  pack-horses.  Beasts  of  prey  are  numerous 
in  the  mountains. 

Zoologists  meet  here  a  fact  not  yet  explained.  The  exact 
counterpart  of  the  Bengalese  tiger — the  terror  of  India's 
jungles — is  found  in  the  northern  provinces,  where  the 
thermometer  falls  to  10°  below  Zero.  Prof.  Griffis  quotes 
approvingly  the  grim  humor  of  the  Chinese  who  say, 
"  Koreans  hunt  the  tiger  half  the  year,  and  tigers  hunt 
Koreans  during  the  other  half."  This,  at  least,  indicates 
the  frequency  with  which  these  feline  monsters  are  met. 

Korea  calls  herself  4000  years  old.  Legend- 
History  ary  accounts  refer  us  to  Ki  Tsze,  the  govern- 
mental father  of  Korea.  He  was  a  learned 
man,  who  acted  as  adviser  to  his  sovereign,  the  Emperor  of 
China.  His  royal  master,  resenting  some  supposed  inter- 
ference, cast  him  into  prison.  Here  he  languished  a  while 
until  a  formidable  rebellion  overthrew  the  tyrant  monarch, 
and  lil)erated  those  whom  he  had  unjustly  punished.  Ki 
Tsze  was  thus  freed.  Yet,  although  indebted  to  them  for 
both  life  and  liberty,  he  refused  to  abide  with  rebels,  and 
collecting  some  like-minded  followers,  numbering  thousands, 
he  led  them  to  the  "regions  beyond,"  and  established  his 
capital  at  Pyeng  Yang,  in  what  is  now  the  northern  prov- 
ince of  Korea.  This  he  named  "Chosen,"  Land  of  Morn- 
ing Calm.  The  dynasty  thus  established  was  illustrious, 
and  as  claimed,  continued  from  1122  B.C.  to  the  fourth 
centur}^  before  the  Chri.stian  era. 

Concerning  the  aborigines  whom  Ki  Tsze  subdued ,  we 
know  nothing.  About  194  b.c.  occurred  the  first  Chinese 
conquest  of  tlie  land,  which  was  retained,  with  some  inter- 
ruption, until  107  B.C.,  when  the  Kingdom,  as  such,  was 
obliterated  and  the  territory  "  annexed  "  to  China,  continu- 
ing thus  for  some  hundreds  of  years. 

The  progenitors  of  the  modern  Koreans,  according  to 
the  authorities  cited  by  Griffis,  were  the  men  of  Fuyu,  a 
stalwart  race  from  northern  Manchuria,  who  wrested  the 
peninsula  from  the  Chinese,  and  established  the  Ko  Korai 
Kingdom.  Gigantic  armies  and  flotillas  were  sent  from 
China  to  re-assert  and  maintain  the  supremacy  of  the 
Dragon  Flag,  but  in  vain.     We  find  the  new  Kingdom  able 


152  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

to  maintain  itself  until  at  least  the  seventh  century.  While 
these  events  were  occurring,  Chinese  immigration,  diplomacy 
and  power  largely  influenced  the  southern  section  of  the 
peninsula,  which,  however,  lay  outside  of  the  Ko  Korain 
Kingdom,  Sectional  and  foreign  wars  too  numerous  to 
recount  prevailed.  About  the  tenth  century  the  whole  pen- 
insula was  unified  under  the  government  of  Wang — the 
Bismarck  of  his  day.  The  ensuing  dynasty  comprised 
thirty-two  monarchs.  In  the  fourteenth  century  this  line 
was  overthrown  by  Ni  Taijo,  who  afterwards  received  inves- 
titure as  king.  He  hastened  to  acknowledge  formally  the 
vassalage  of  his  realm  to  China  and  was  consequently  the 
recipient  of  great  honors  from  that  source.  From  that 
time  to  the  present  the  same  dynastic  rule  has  been  con- 
tinued ;  1897  being  its  505th  year  of  existence.  Strictly 
speaking,  however,  the  direct  line  ended  in  1864. 
Ment  1  C  It  e  ^^^  Koreans  have  been  described  as  a  cross 
and  Social  between  the  Chinese  and  the  Japanese,   but 

Habits  more  resembling  the  latter,  though  the  influ- 

ence of  China  has  been  predominating.  The 
upper  and  middle  classes  are  largely  Confucianists,  while  all 
classes  worship  ' '  the  gods  of  the  hills, ' '  and  the  ' '  unseen 
princes  of  the  air."  The  literati  attempt  no  general  re- 
search, but  content  themselves  with  the  writings  of  the 
sages  of  the  Middle  Kingdom.  All  documents  are  written 
in  Chinese,  which  is  studied  by  all  Koreans  having  any  pre- 
tensions to  scholarship.  The  vernacular  tongue,  known  as 
Enmoun,  is  polys541abic,  and  has  the  great  advantage  of  an 
alphabet.  Originality  of  thought  is  not  encouraged  ;  gen- 
eral education,  as  we  understand  it,  is  unknown.  Schools 
indeed  are  common,  and  many  even  of  the  humbler  classes 
are  found  in  them  ;  yet  the  great  mass  remain  untaught. 
Political  preferment  is  based  on  competitive  examination. 
Successful  aspirants  receive  diplomas,  denoting  the  degree 
they  have  taken.  Special  institutions  for  instruction  in 
astronomy,  medicine,  topography,  law,  etc.,  are  maintained 
at  government  expense  and  are  patronized  by  a  favored  few. 
Since  the  war,  schools  for  instruction  in  the  English, 
French,  Russian  and  Japanese  languages  have  been  estab- 
lished by  the  government,  which  also  sends  several  hundred 
students  to  Christian  schools  for  the  study  of  English  and 
the  sciences.  The  dwellings  of  the  people  are  poor  enough; 
many  are  only  of  mud,  thatched  with  straw.  Where  means 
permit,   brick    and    hewn    stone^ — in    some    instances    finely 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    KOREA.  153 

carved — are  used.      Household  appliances  and  comforts  are 
few. 

The  range  of  dress  is  limited,  only  two  materials  being 
much  used— cotton  for  the  poor  and  silk  for  the  wealthy. 
That  cleanliness  which  is  next  to  godliness  is  not  character- 
istic of  the  Koreans.  House-cleaning,  however,  is  attended 
to  once  a  month,  which  is  believed  to  be  an  unparalleled 
illustration  of  woman's  persistence  and  man's  uncomplain- 
ing patience.  Holidays  are  common,  and  public  merry- 
makings frequent.  Suthcient  data  to  fix  accurately  the 
approximate  population  is  not  in  our  possession  ;  probably 
the  Koreans  themselves  could  not  tell.  Griffis  calls  it 
12,000,000,  and  his  conclusion,  while  largely  conjectural,  is 
the  one  usually  accepted. 

Woman's  status  resembles  that  of  the  sex  in  other  Asiatic 
regions.  Inferiority  is  assumed,  but  practically  there  is  not 
as  much  harshness  in  the  treatment  of  her  as  might  be  sup- 
posed, or  as  is  often  asserted.  Under  many  circumstances 
women  are  even  treated  with  respect,  and  are  protected  by 
certain  of  the  laws. 

In  the  earlier  ages  an  undefined  superstition 
Religion  held    sway   over    the    people.      The    unseen 

"Princes  of  the  Air,"  the  spirits  of  heaven 
and  earth,  the  unknown  forces  throughout  space,  were 
"  ignorantly  worshipped."  Neither  in  the  past  or  present 
have  the  Koreans  indulged  in  the  folly  of  denying  a  personal 
devil.  Their  trouble  is  a  belief  in  too  many  devils.  To 
them  the  ver\'  atmosphere  teems  with  malevolent,  rather 
than  benevolent  influences.  Buddhism,  as  an  exotic  from 
India,  was  planted  in  Korea  about  the  fourth  century.  At 
once  it  took  firm  hold,  and  flourished  as  though  indigenous 
to  the  soil.  For  at  least  ten  centuries  it  held  supreme  sway, 
moulding  the  morals,  manners  and  culture  of  the  realm. 
For  four  centuries  the  tenets  of  Sakya  Muni  were  recognized 
as  the  established  faith  of  the  Empire. 

No  one  has  yet  given  the  world  an  exhaustive  review  of 
Buddhism.  It  will  never  be  done;  like  the  chameleon  the 
system  changes  color  to  suit  its  surroundings.  The  Bud- 
dhism of  Siam  is  very  different  from  that  of  Thibet.  As 
found  in  Hindustan,  numerous  distinctions  separate  it  from 
the  Buddhism  of  Japan.  The  one  point  it  consistently  main- 
tains everywhere,  is  that  this  life  is  full  of  evil,  a  curse 
rather  than  a  blessing.  Existence  has  no  value ;  even  death 
brings  no  relief,  since  it  introduces  man  to  another  state  of 
(II) 


154  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

conscious  existence,  which  is  as  bad  as  the  present,  perhaps 
worse.  Hence,  joy  can  only  come  by  what  is  called  Nirv^ana, 
a  condition  equivalent  to  non-existence  or  annihilation. 
This  is  the  underlying  thought  upon  which  the  superstruc- 
ture of  Buddhism  is  reared.  Temples  of  this  faith  are 
found  all  through  Korea.  Although  built  in  honor  of 
Buddha  they  really  contain  numerous  gods.  In  some 
instances  several  hundred  inferior  deities  are  ranged  along 
the  sides  of  the  buildings ;  these  are  often  made  of  colossal 
size,  and,  in  the  cities  especially,  sometimes  exhibit  artistic 
merit.  As  far  as  practicable,  the  temples  are  on  hill -tops, 
and  generally  surrounded  by  groves.  ,  While  uniformity  of 
architecture  is  not  insisted  on,  a  certain  resemblance  is  to  be 
traced  in  them  all.  Outside  apartments  are  built  for  the 
priests  who  live  on  the  premises.  These  men  are  generally 
lazy  and  ignorant  fellows,  more  intent  on  a  life  of  sloth  than 
upon  the  advancement  of  their  belief.  The  support  of  such 
establishments  is  voluntary,  and  often  liberal. 

Worship  consists  in  prostration  and  prayer  before  the 
idol,  the  burning  of  incense,  the  presentation  of  paper  suit- 
ably inscribed,  and  the  repetition  of  a  formula  which  is 
assisted  by  a  rosary  held  in  the  hand,  and  on  which  the 
count  is  kept.  At  present  Buddhism  in  Korea  is  on  the 
wane.  It  has  no  recognition  by  the  present  dynasty,  and 
only  exists  by  sufferance,  the  priests  being  looked  upon  as  a 
low  class  given  up  to  immoral  lives. 

As  superseding  grosser  forms  of  belief  it  has  undoubtedly 
been  of  benefit.  But  its  absolute  influence  is  only  evil,  and 
the  sooner  its  degeneracy  is  followed  by  its  death ,  the  better 
for  the  land  it  blights.  Its  most  conspicuous  competitor  in 
Korea  is  Confucianism.  This  strictly  is  an  ethical  rather 
than  a  religious  system,  and  is  based  on  the  writing  of  Kung 
Futze,  the  Socrates  of  China,  born  551  b.  c. 

Confucianism,  while  introduced  into  Korea  at  an  early 
period,  has  been  prominent  there  for  only  three  hundred 
years.  It  presents  five  general  principles:  Benevolence, 
Uprightness,  Politeness,  Wisdom  and  Fidelity.  It  treats 
moreover  of  five  relations  of  life,  which  are:  King  and 
Subject,  Parent  and  Child,  Husband  and  Wife,  Elder  -and 
Younger  Brother,  and  Friend  with  Friend.  Nothing  is  said 
of  the  soul's  immortality.  Concerning  the  existence  of  any 
God  or  gods,  one  of  its  authorities  declares,  "Sufficient 
knowledge  is  not  possessed  to  say  positively  that  they  exist, 
and  I  see  no  difiiculty  in  omitting  the  subject  altogether." 


THE   MISSIONS    IN   KOREA.  1 55 

Indeed,  Confucianism  chiefl}'  seeks  to  mould  society  in  social 
and  political  matters.  It  presents  many  admirable  ideas 
which  yet  fall  infinitely  short  of  the  truth  man  chiefly  needs. 
A  Confucian  temple  contains  no  idols.  The  building  is  dis- 
tinguished within  by  a  tablet  which  sets  forth  the  honor  of 
the  great  Sage .  Generally  a  large  number  of  less  conspicuous 
tablets  appear,  which  praise  his  best  known  disciples.  An 
altar  is  erected  where  sacrifice  is  made,  or  offerings  are  laid. 
Some  of  the  displays  on  festal  occasions  are  very  fine.  The 
second  and  eighth  months  are  the  fixed  times  for  offering  sacri- 
fice to  Confucius,  who  is  not,  however,  regarded  as  a  god,  as 
these  facts  would  seem  to  indicate. 

Taoism  also  exists  in  Korea,  but  exerts  little  influence. 
Its  distinctive  feature  is  Rationalism.  Its  ceremonies  are 
singular,  and  its  tenets  grossly  materialistic.  It  is  also  an 
importation  from  China,  where  it  originated  with  the  philoso- 
pher Laotse,  who  lived  in  the  seventh  century.  It  offers 
many  idols,  yet  neither  the  temples  nor  the  priests  are  numer- 
ous or  well  supported. 

Far  more  worthy  of  our  regard  are  some  of  the  teachings 
connected  with  ancestral  worship,  as  it  exists  in  Korea.  It 
is  really  an  expression  of  the  popular  idea  of  what  consti- 
tutes filial  piety.  If  families  can  afford  it  they  erect  hand- 
some temples,  and  there  place  tablets  inscribed  with  the 
names  and  virtues  of  their  immediate  ancestors.  A  valuable 
result  of  this  idea  is  the  preservation  of  a  complete  genea- 
logical list.  Generally  the  tablet  is  erected  without  the 
dignity  of  a  temple  to  shelter  it.  Before  these  tablets,  and 
in  honor  of  the  deceased,  theatrical  plays  are  performed  on 
temporary  stages ;  presentations  of  food  are  made  to  the 
departed  spirit,  and  even  more  commonly,  prayers  are 
offered  and  wailings  uttered. 


The  Introduction  of  Christianity, 

Possibly  in  the  sixteenth  century,  certainly  in  the  eight- 
eenth, Papal  converts  from  Japan  and  China  carried  the 
Christian  religion  into  Korea.  They  taught,  they  baptized, 
they  labored  with  conspicuous  zeal,  although  not  always 
with  commendable  caution. 

About  1783  a  distinguished  oflBcial,  Senghuni  by  name, 
professed  conversion,  and  was  baptized  under  the  new  name 
of  Peter.     The  better  class  of  scholars  were  not  slow  to  see 


156  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

the  superiority  of  even  corrupt  Christianity  to  their  own 
Pagan  systems.  The  people  began  to  take  kindly  to  the 
missionaries,  who  were  greatly  encouraged.  Religious 
books  were  translated  and  distributed. 

But  the  government  was  now  thoroughly  alarmed.  The 
priesthood  was  awakened.  Prejudice  being  kindled,  blazed 
into  passion  and  consumed  the  new  church  with  the  fierce 
fires  of  unrelenting  persecution.  It  was  the  old  story. 
Many  recanted  and  saved  their  lives.  Others  fled  to  China, 
and  4,000  poor  souls  braved  martyrdom  by  sword  and  fagot 
and  unmentionable  tortures. 

Jean  dos  Remidios,  a  priest  from  Portugal,  was  the  first 
person  from  the  West  who  ever  ventured  on  Korean  soil  for 
the  purpose  of  preaching  and  teaching.  Holland  sailors 
were  shipwrecked  there  in  1672,  and  detained  as  prisoners 
for  some  time.  But  their  stay  was  involuntary,  and  their 
work  by  no  means  evangelistic. 

The  results  of  Remidios'  efforts  were  considerable  at  first, 
but  soon  passed  away.  In  1835,  under  the  influence  of 
Bourbon  ascendency  in  France,  Roman  Catholic  missions 
were  reintroduced  to  Korea.  The  pioneers  of  this  fresh 
crusade  went  overland  by  way  of  China  and  Manchuria.  In 
a  few  years  they  claimed  several  thousands  of  adherents. 
As  before,  and  for  the  same  reasons,  blood  soon  drowned  out 
all  traces  of  the  boasted  conquest.  Again  and  again  Rome 
rallied,  and  as  often  was  driven  from  the  field.  The  work- 
men died,  and  the  work  itself  was  deserted.  So  it  seemed, 
at  least.  Yet  a  remnant  must  have  survived.  Even  if  we 
discredit  the  Jesuit  story,  doubtless  highly  colored,  that  they 
had  10,000  converts  in  1850,  and  about  15,000  seven  years 
later,  still  we  must  believe  that  there  was  some  foundation 
for  their  statement. 

The  year  i860  was  important  in  the  East.  It  was  then 
that  English  arms  so  completely  mastered  the  resistance  of 
the  great  Chinese  Empire.  British  greed  had  forced  India's 
opium  upon  the  people  of  the  eighteen  Provinces.  British 
guns  were  the  unanswerable  argument  which  supported  the 
demand.  The  forts  of  the  Peiho  fell  before  the  merciless 
fire  to  which  they  were  subjected.  Pekin  was  taken  and 
sacked.  The  prestige  of  China  was  destroyed.  It  was 
all  man's  wrong  and  man's  wrath  against  his  fellow-man. 
Yet,  how  God  overruled  it  for  His  own  glory !  The  fruits 
of  that  victory — directly  or  indirectly — were  the  enforced 
opening  of  new  Chinese  ports  to  commerce,  additional  guar- 


THE    MISSION.S    IN    KOREA.  1 57 

antees  for  Christian  missions,  and  the  opportunity  it  gave 
Russia  of  seizing  lands  contiguous  to  China. 

Nowhere  more  than  in  Korea  were  these  changes  felt. 
It  had  been  supposed  that  China  was  impregnable.  But 
the  Dragon  Throne  had  been  despoiled  by  a  mere  handful  of 
"  outside  barbarians."  The  great  Emperor  was  an  exile  in 
Tartary.  The  red  cross  of  St.  George  floated  over  the 
palace  of  Pekin.  All  this  sent  a  thrill  of  consternation 
through  the  "hermit  nation" — where  the  more  thoughtful 
ones  could  see  that  such  an  overthrow  was  indicative  of  their 
own  peril,  if  not  a  prelude  to  their  own  destruction.  The 
handwriting  was  on  the  wall.  One  has  said,  "  Political 
convulsions,  like  geological  upheavings,  usher  in  new  epochs 
of  the  world's  progress."  It  has  proved  so  in  this  instance. 
Paganism  at  once  made  frantic  efforts  to  shut  itself  secure- 
ly away  from  progress.  Armies  were  drilled  in  Korea,  forts 
were  built,  frontiers  were  guarded,  every  precaution  was 
taken.  Watch  fires  were  kindled  at  a  moment's  notice  on  the 
coast,  and  headland  telegraphed  to  headland  of  any  impend- 
ing danger.     All  was  in  vain. 

Within  six  years  Napoleon  III.  sent  an  expedition  to 
Korea.  On  the  plea  that  certain  Frenchmen  had  been  slain 
in  a  recent  persecution  of  Christians,  Admiral  Roze,  of  the 
French  navy,  blockaded  the  Han  River,  penetrated  the  inte- 
rior as  far  as  Seoul,  the  capital,  and  completely  destroyed  the 
city  of  Kang  Wha,  situated  on  an  island  of  that  name,  and 
the  chief  military  depot  of  Western  Korea.  He  afterwards 
attacked  Tong  Chin.  Here  he  was  repulsed  with  great  loss, 
being  ultimately  obliged  to  retire  altogether. 

An  American  buccaneering  expedition,  on  the  schooner 
"General  Sherman,"  in  1866,  made  a  futile  attempt  to 
reach  the  royal  tombs  of  Pyeng  Yang,  where  it  was  said 
that  the  Emperors  of  Korea  were  buried  in  coffins  of  gold. 
The  Yankee  craft  ran  aground  at  low  tide  in  the  river.  In 
this  helpless  condition  it  was  surrounded  by  blazing  fire- 
rafts  and  destroyed  ;  the  crew  were  all  slain.  Admiral 
Rowan,  on  the  flagship  "  Wachusett,  "  immediately 
demanded  of  Korea  an  explanation  of  her  "  insult  to  the 
flag."  Not  meeting  with  success,  he  returned  to  China,  but 
almost  immediately  despatched  the  U.  S.  corvette  "Shen- 
andoah," whose  officers  finally  learned  the  particulars  just 
given. 

It  soon  became  evident  that  our  government  must  take 
some  steps  to  ensure  the  safety  of  American  mariners  who 


158  HISTORICAI,   SKETCH    OF 

were  in  the  waters  adjacent  to  Korea,  and  might  be  ship- 
wrecked, The  authorities  at  Washington  instructed  the  new 
minister  to  China,  Hon.  Fred.  F.  L,ow,  to  proceed  to  the 
Korean  capital,  and  if  possible  conclude  a  commercial  treaty- 
bet  ween  that  Empire  and  the  United  States,  having  espe- 
cially in  view  the  point  alluded  to. 

Rear  Admiral  John  Rodgers,  commanding  the  Asiatic 
squadron,  was  directed  to  accompany  him  with  sufficient 
force  to  maintain  the  nation's  honor.  Five  war  vessels  were 
detailed  for  this  duty.  On  May  23d,  187 1,  this  little  fleet 
anchored  off  the  western  coast  of  Korea.  The  Americans, 
on  landing,  were  treated  with  civility.  Eight  Korean  officers 
visited  the  flagship,  although  they  presented  no  credentials. 
Pending  diplomatic  negotiations,  the  Admiral  ordered  a 
survey  of  the  Han  River.  To  this  duty  two  gun-boats  and 
four  steam-launches  were  assigned.  Ascending  the  river  in 
obedience  to  orders,  they  were  met  by  a  terrific  fire  from 
numerous  shore  batteries,  which  opened  upon  them  without 
previous  warning.  The  forts  were  silenced  by  a  return  fire, 
and  demolished  by  ten -inch  shells,  after  which  the  ships 
returned  to  anchorage.  As  no  apology  was  offered  within 
ten  days  for  this  assault,  759  men  were  landed  and  ordered 
to  carry  the  citadel.  This  was  done  in  splendid  style.  To 
the  credit  of  their  courage  be  it  said,  the  Koreans  refused  to 
surrender,  and  when  their  stronghold  fell,  it  was  found  that 
only  twenty  of  the  garrison  survived,  and  the}"  were 
wounded.  Three  hundred  and  fifty  corpses  were  piled  up 
in  one  place.     If  they  failed  it   was  not  through  cowardice. 

In  reality,  the  Americans  gained  no  substantial  advan- 
tage, and,  like  the  French,  were  inclined  to  withdraw  with- 
out further  demonstrations.  Yet  they  prepared  the  way  for 
others  to  enter. 

In  1876,  Japan,  accomplished  the  important  task,  never 
before  successful,  of  making  a  complete  treaty  with  Korea. 
This  was  done  under  the  potent  influence  of  a  powerful 
fleet,  and  a  large  force  of  troops.  The  French  and  English 
tried  to  take  immediate  advantage,  but  made  no  headway. 
Meanwhile,  the  trade  between  Korea  and  Japan  increased 
marvelously,  a  fact  which  incited  western  envy  to  seek 
some  method  of  dividing  its  obvious  profits. 

Under  the  direction  of  President  Hayes,  and  the  author- 
ity of  Congress,  Commodore  Shufeldt  visited  Korea,  and 
vainly  endeavored  to  establish  cordial  relations  with  the 
authorities.      Nothing  was  accomplished.      The   following 


THK    MISSIONS    IN    KORUA.  1 59 

year,  however,  through  the  friendly  intervention  of  Li  Hung 
Chang,  the  Chinese  Viceroy,  the  Commodore  was  better 
received,  and  on  May  6,  1882,  he  negotiated  an  agreement 
which  binds  together  the  "  Outpost  State"  and  the  United 
States  in  terms  mutually  satisfactory. 

General  Foote  was  sent  by  President  Arthur,  as  minister 
resident,  to  Seoul.  He  was  received  at  court,  and  estab- 
lished at  the  capital  a  United  States  legation. 

In  1894  an  attempt  was  made  to  throw  off  the  Chinese 
suzerainty.  A  Japanese  force  was  sent  to  Korea  in  con- 
travention of  treaties  with  China.  This  led  to  war  between 
Japan  and  China  of  which  Korea  was  the  battle-ground. 
The  complete  defeat  of  China,  and  the  formal  renunciation 
of  her  claims  by  the  treaty  of  peace  signed  Ma}^  1895.  left 
Korea  nominally  independent,  but  completely  under  Japan- 
ese control.  A  period  of  much  political  disturbance  fol- 
lowed. In  October  1895  the  Queen  was  assassinated,  and 
soon  after  the  King  fled  from  the  palace  and  took  refuge 
with  the  Russian  Legation.  This  ended  the  Japanese 
ascendency,  and  gave  Russia  the  predominant  influence  in 
Korean  affairs.  In  1897  the  King  took  possession  of  a  new 
palace  adjoining  the  Foreign  Legations,  and  is  protected  by 
a  body-guard  of  Korean  troops  under  the  command  of  Rus- 
sian officers.  A  treaty  between  Japan  and  Russia  provides 
that  both  nations  shall  furnish  financial  aid  to  Korea  and  con- 
trol the  telegraph  lines.  The  heir-apparent  to  the  throne,  a 
young  man  twenty  years  old,  was  sent  to  America  in  1897, 
to  pursue  his  education  under  the  guardianship  of  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Ellinwood,  senior  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions. 


Protestant  Missions. 

Evangelical  religion  was  introduced  into  Korea  by  Rev. 
J.  Mclntyre  and  Rev.  John  Ross,  ministers  of  the  Scotch 
United  Presbyterian  Church  in  Manchuria.  In  1873  Mr. 
Ross  visited  the  most  eastern  port  of  Manchuria,  known  as 
the  Korean  Gate,  the  place  where  Korean  merchants  were 
wont  to  exchange  the  products  of  their  country  for  Chinese 
products.  By  a  remarkable  succession  of  providential 
events,  Mr.  Ross  was  enabled  to  translate  portions  of  the 
Gospel  of  Luke  into  the  Korean  language.    These  portions, 


l6o  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

in  the  form  of  tracts,  were  carried  back  into  the  Korean 
valleys  by  young  men  who  had  come  under  the  influence  of 
the  truth  through  Mr.  Ross  and  his  associates  In  the 
course  of  time,  Mr.  Ross  and  Mr.  Webster,  in  the  face  of 
great  exposure  and  imminent  peril,  visited  the  valleys  where 
the  Word  of  God  had  been  scattered,  and  to  their  joy 
found  many  who  were  ready  to  confess  Christ.  During 
their  first  visit  eighty-five  men  were  baptized  in  the  tliree 
valleys,  and  many  were  reserved  for  further  instruction. 

About  1880,  Rijutei,  a  Korean  of  high  rank,  was  sent  to 
represent  his  government  in  Japan.  Here  he  was  led  to 
accept  Christ,  and  begged  earnestly  that  missionaries  should 
be  sent  to  Korea.  In  answer  to  this  appeal  the  Presbyterian 
Board  sent  Dr.  H.  N.  Allen,  then  working  as  a  medical 
missionary  in  China.  He  arrived  in  Korea,  September,  1884. 
General  Foote  at  once  appointed  him  physician  to  the 
United  States  Legation,  which  assured  his  safety  and  favor- 
able reception. 

During  a  disturbance  in  Seoul,  which  occurred  about  a 
month  after  Dr.  Allen's  arrival,  a  number  of  persons  of  distinc- 
tion were  wounded.  Under  Dr.  Allen's  care,  many  of  them 
recovered.  The  life  of  Min  Yong  Ik,  a  nephew  of  the 
King,  was  thus  saved,  and  the  prestige  gained  for  western 
medical  science  and  for  the  whole  work  of  missions  was 
very  great.  Dr.  Allen's  influence  was  unbounded.  The 
King  at  once  received  him  into  his  confidence  as  his  court 
physician.  He  also  fitted  up  a  government  hospital  at  large 
expense  and  placed  it  under  his  care. 

Dr.  J.  W.  Herron  and  wife,  and  Rev.  H.  G.  Underwood 
were  sent  out  by  the  Board  some  months  later,  and  about 
the  same  time  the  American  Methodist  Church  established  a 
mission  at  Seoul.  The  Korean  government  also  established 
a  college,  and  employed  three  American  instructors,  Messrs. 
Hulbert,  Gilmore  and  Bunker. 

Great  caution  was  necessary  to  avoid  arousing 
Literary  Work  the  hostility  of  the  people,  and  for  several 
years  the  work  was  chiefly  medical  and  liter- 
ary. The  language  is  extremely  difficult,  and  to  acquire  it 
sufficiently  to  translate  the  Scriptures  and  prepare  the  neces- 
sary school-books  demanded  great  labor  and  patience.  The 
entire  New  Testament  had  been  earlier  translated  into  a 
north  Korean  dialect  by  Rev.  Dr.  Ross,  and  his  version 
has  formed  the  basis  of  several  reprints  and  revisions  of 
different  portions.     A  committee  representing  the  different 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IX    KOREA.  l6l 

missions,  with  Rev.  Dr.  Underwood  as  chairman,  is  now  at 
work  on  a  translation  designed  to  be  the  best  attainable. 
The  Gospels  and  Acts  have  already  been  printed. 

The  Korean  Religious  Tract  Society  was  formed  in  1890 
by  the  efforts  of  the  late  Dr.  Herron.  It  prints  yearly  many 
thousand  pages  of  religious  and  educational  works,  includ- 
ing among  others  an  Annual  Calendar,  the  Bible  Catechism, 
"  Peep  of  Day,"  "  Guide  to  Heaven,"  and  the  "  Pilgrim's 
Progress,"  recently  translated  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Gale. 
Mr.  Gale  has  also  prepared  a  Korean-English  dictionary. 

Other  missionary  societies  have  established  work  from 
time  to  time.  In  1897  about  80  workers  of  different  names 
frdm  Great  Britain  and  America  were  reported.  The  Pres- 
b^'terian  missionaries,  including  those  of  our  own  Church, 
and  of  the  Southern  and  Australian  Presbyterians,  have 
formed  a  council  for  co-operative  work,  looking  to  the 
establishment  of  one  Presbyterian  Church  in  Korea. 

Seoul,  the  capital,  is  on  the  Han  River,  twenty- 
Seoul  five  miles  overland  from  the  seaport  Chemulpo. 
It  is  a  city  of  300,000  inhabitants,  beautifully 
situated  among  the  mountains  Here  is  the  chief  seat  of 
missionary  labor,  and  the  centre  of  the  nation's  life,  so  that 
evangelistic  work  among  its  transient  population  reaches 
every  hamlet  in  the  land.  The  station  includes  a  number  of 
towns  and  villages  within  a  radius  of  40  miles,  which  are 
reached  by  itinerating  tours.  There  are  three  churches  in 
the  city,  having  an  aggregate  membership  of  about  300, 
while  in  connection  with  these  are  five  street  chapels,  three 
dispensaries  and  four  book  stores. 

Evangelistic  work  has  been  particularly  fruitful  of  good, 
and  in  the  surrounding  country  are  a  number  of  small 
churches  with  many  catechumens. 

One  of  these  country  churches  in  Whang  Hai  Province 
has  a  membership  of  over  70,  employs  a  permanent  evangel- 
ist, has  a  church  building  erected  entirely  with  native  funds, 
pays  all  its  running  expenses  and  maintains  a  Christian 
school. 

The  Boys'  School,  under  Mr.  Miller,  has  55  pupils,  of 
whom  ten  are  communicants.  All  instruction  is  given  in 
the  vernacular  and  the  school  is  intended  primarily  for  the 
children  of  Christians.  In  1896  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baird  were 
transferred  to  Seoul ,  with  a  view  to  the  development  of  the 
Academic  Department  and  a  normal  school. 

A  girls'  school  was  begun  in  the   foreign  settlement  by 


1 62  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

the  first  missionaries,  but  was  not  well  attended.  During 
the  war  so  many  houses  were  vacated  that  it  became  pos- 
sible to  obtain  a  desirable  property  in  the  native  city  at  a 
very  low  price.  This  was  fitted  up  for  the  purpose,  and  the 
school  removed  to  it  in  1895.  It  has  since  greatly  increased. 
The  school  is  in  charge  of  Miss  Doty,  and  an  admirable 
Korean  teacher.  In  connection  with  this  school  is  a  Korean 
church,  and  a  house  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gifford  reside. 
Mrs.  GifFord  does  extensive  work  among  the  women  of  the 
city  and  surrounding  country.  Training  classes  of  native 
helpers  are  held  each  winter,  and  form  one  of  the  most 
hopeful  lines  of  work. 

The  Government  Hospital  was  successively 
Medical  Work  superintended  by  Drs.  Allen,  Vinton  and 
Avison.  In  1894  the  jealousy  and  corruption 
of  the  native  officials  became  so  intolerable  that  Dr.  Avison 
was  forced  to  resign  his  position  for  a  time.  The  Japanese 
occupation  enabled  the  King  to  carry  out  desirable  reforms, 
and  to  recall  Dr.  Avison,  who  was  given  absolute  direction, 
and  full  liberty  for  Christian  teaching. 

Mrs.  Underwood,  M.D.,  has  had  exceptional  opportuni- 
ties for  visiting,  in  virtue  of  her  appointment  as  physician 
to  the  ladies  of  the  Court.  She  was  in  constant  attendance 
upon  the  unfortunate  Queen,  who  was  murdered  in  one  of 
the  revolutionary  outbreaks  that  followed  the  war. 

In  the  summer  of  1895,  a  terrible  epidemic  of  cholera 
devastated  Korea,  and  was  especially  severe  in  Seoul.  Two 
special  hospitals  were  at  once  opened,  and  nearly  all  the 
members  of  the  Presbyterian,  Baptist  and  Methodist  mis- 
sions, assisted  by  many  Korean  Christians,  spent  the  sum- 
mer in  caring  for  the  victims.  By  God's  mercy,  none  of 
the  foreign  community,  and  very  few  of  the  native  Chris- 
tians were  stricken.  The  King  showed  his  gratitude  by 
sending  a  gift  of  $300  to  the  hospital,  and  a  testimonial  of 
thanks  was  received  from  the  Minister  of  Foreign  Affairs. 

Fusan,  on  the  southeast  coast,  was  occupied 
Fusan  in  1891,  by  Rev.  W.  M.  Baird  and  Mrs.  Baird. 

It  is  the  chief  port  for  the  trade  with  Japan, 
and  is  largely  inhabited  by  Japanese.  It  is  the  point  of 
departure  for  all  the  southern  region,  the  most  populous 
part  of  the  country.  Most  of  the  local  preaching  here,  as 
in  all  Korean  stations  is  done  in  the  "  sarang,"  or  guest- 
room, which  is  both  chapel  and  reception  room,  and  is  open 
all  day  for  any  who  wish  to  come.     There  is  a  dispensary 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   KOREA,  1 63 

and  a  small  hospital.  Tours  are  made  in  all  directions 
whenever  possible,  and  many  hopeful  inquirers  are  encount- 
ered. 

The  capital  of  the  province,  Tagoo,  has  been  success- 
fully entered  and  property  secured  with  a  view  to  making 
this  the  centre  of  work  for  the  province. 

Gensan,  one  of  the  treaty  ports,  on  the  north - 
Gensan  eastern  coast,  is  the  gateway  for  all  the  coun- 

try east  of  the  mountains .  It  was  first  occupied 
by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  S.  Gale  in  1S92.  The  usual  preparatory 
work  has  been  done,  in  laying  the  foundations  for  church 
and  schools.  Many  have  professed  to  receive  Christ,  and 
testify  by  their  faithful  lives  to  the  reality  of  His  grace.  The 
evangelistic  work,  especially  among  the  women,  is  full  of 
encouragement.  During  one  year,  nine  hundred  women 
came  to  Mrs.  Gale  for  religious  conversation.  In  the  very 
height  of  the  war  excitement,  while  the  Japanese  troops 
were  landing  opposite  the  house,  several  of  these  women 
came  to  inquire  about  the  Way  of  Life,  and  to  beg  for 
baptism. 

Pyeng  Yang,  the  fourth  strategic  point  occu- 
py eng  Yang  pied,  lies  in  the  northwest,  and  gives  access  to 
all  the  region  up  to  the  borders  of  Manchuria. 
For  several  years  the  Rev.  S.  A.  Moflfett  and  others  had 
visited  the  province  at  intervals  and  baptized  a  number  of 
scattered  believers,  but  were  not  permitted  to  reside  there 
In  1893  they  succeeded  in  buying  a  house,  but  when  they 
attempted  to  occupy  it,  the  authorities  drove  them  out,  and 
threw  some  of  the  native  Christians  into  prison.  Although 
tortured  and  threatened  with  death  unless  they  renounced 
Christ,  they  stood  firm,  witnessing  most  impressively  to  the 
power  of  the  gospel.  Through  the  intervention  of  the 
American  and  British  Ministers,  the  prisoners  were  released, 
and  indemnity  secured.  Then  came  the  war,  and  Pyeng 
Yang  was  the  scene  of  a  great  battle.  Immediately  after- 
ward Mr.  Moffett  and  Mr.  Lee,  accompanied  by  Dr.  Hall  of 
the  Methodist  Mission,  revisited  the  place,  and  were  warmly 
welcomed  by  all  classes,  who  had  learned  to  trust  the  mis- 
sionaries as  their  friends.  Since  then  the  work  has  devel- 
oped beyond  all  expectation.  The  church  in  the  city  has 
(1897)  over  100  communicants  and  195  catechumens.  There 
are  twenty-two  sub-stations,  and  twelve  or  more  chapels, 
built  almost  entirely  by  the  Koreans.  The  total  number  of 
communicants  connected  with  the  station  is  about  270,  with 


1 64  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

over  500  catechumens.  The  appeals  for  more  missionaries 
are  almost  despairingly  earnest. 

Mrs.  Isabella  Bird  Bishop  writes  to  the  Board  of  Foreign 
Missions: 

The  Pyeug  Yang  work  which  I  saw  last  winter  and  which  is  still 
going  on  in  much  the  same  way,  is  the  most  impressive  mission  work 

1  have  seen  in  any  part  of  the  world.  It  shows  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
still  moves  on  the  earth  and  that  the  old  truths  of  sin  and  judgment  to 
come,  of  the  divine  justice  and  love,  of  the  atonement,  and  of  ihe 
necessity  for  holiness,  have  the  same  power  as  in  the  Apostolic  days 
to  transform  the  lives  of  men.  What  I  saw  and  heard  has  greatly 
strengthened  my  own  faith. 

Now  a  door  is  opened  wide  in  Korea,  how  wide  only  those  can 
know  who  are  on  the  spot.  Very  many  are  prepared  to  renounce 
devil  worship  and  to  worship  the  true  God  if  only  they  are  taught 
how  and  large  numbers  more  who  have  heard  and  received  the  gospel 
are  earnestly  craving  to  be  instructed  in  its  rules  of  holy  living. 

I  dread  indescribably  that  unless  many  men  and  women  experi- 
enced in  winning  souls  are  sent  speedily,  the  door  which  the  Church 
declines  to  enter  will  close  again 

STATISTICS    1897. 

Missionaries  (five  of  them  physicians) 33 

Korean  helpers 30 

Churches    10 

Communicants 530 

Pupils  in  schools 230 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools 545 

STATIONS  1897. 

Seoul,  the  capital,  near  the  western  coast,  on  the  Han  River  and 
twenty-five  miles  overland  from  the  commercial  port,  Chemulpo ; 
Mission  begun  in  1884;  laborers — Rev.  H.  G.  Underwood,  D.D.,and 
Mrs.  Underwood,  Rev.  D.  L.  Gifford  and  Mrs  Gifford,  Rev.  S.  F. 
Moore  and  Mrs.  Moore,  Rev.  F.  S.  Miller  and  Mrs.  Miller,  C.  C.  Vin- 
ton, M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Vinton,  O.  R.  Avison,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Avison, 
Rev.  W.  .M.  Baird  and  Mrs.  Baird,  Misses  S.  A.  Doty,  C.  C.  Wambold, 
Ellen  Strong  and  Georgiana  Whiting,  M.D.;  2  licentiates;   i  teacher; 

2  Bible-women. 

FuSAN,  on  the  southeast  coast ;  occupied  as  a  mission  station  1S91; 
laborers— Rev.  J.  E.  Adams  and  Mrs.  Adams,  Charles  H.  Irvin,  M.D., 
and  Mrs.  Irvin,  and  Miss  M.  L,.  Chase;  i  licentiate  and  2  native 
helpers. 

Gensan,  on  the  northeastern  coast ;  occupied  as  a  mission  station 
1892;  laborers— Mr.  J.  S.  Gale  and  Mrs.  Gale,  Rev.  W.  L.  Swallen 
and  Mrs.  Swallen  ;  i  licentiate,  i  Bible- woman,  and  i  native  teacher. 

Pyeng  Yang,  occupied  1893;  laborers— Rev.  S.  A.  Moffett,  Rev. 
Graham  Lee  and  Mrs.  Lee,  J.  Hunter  Wells,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Wells, 
and  Rev.  Norman  C.  Whittemore;  3  native  teachers  and  i  Bible-woman. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    KOREA. 


165 


Mlssionaries  In  Korea. 


Died,     l-igines,  Term  of  Service  iu  the  Field. 


Adams,  Rev.  J.  E., 
Adams,  Mrs., 
Allen,  H.  N.,  M.D., 
Allen,  Mrs., 
Arbuckle,  Miss  V.  C, 
Avison,  O.  R.,  M.D., 
Avison,  Mrs., 
Baird,  Rev.  W.  M., 
Baird,  Mrs. 

*Brown,  H.  M.,  M.D., 
Brown,  Mrs., 
Bunker,    Mrs.     Annie 


[896 
1896 
1884- 
1884- 
1S92- 
1894 
1S94 
1S91 
1 891 
1891- 


1891) 
1890 
1896 


-1895 
1895 

■1888 


Ellers,  M.D.,  i886- 

Chase,  Miss  M.  L.,        1S96 
Doty,  Miss  S.  A.,  1889 

Gale,  Mr.  J.  S.,  1888 

Gale,     Mrs.    (Mrs.    J. 

Herron)  1885 

Gifford,  Rev,  D.  L.,       18S8 
Gifford,     Mrs.       (Miss 

Hayden),  188S 

-Herron,  John,  M.D.,     1885- 1890 
Irvin,  C.  H.,  M.D.,       1894 


Irvin,  Mrs.,  1894 

Jacobson,  Miss  A.  P.,  1895- 
Lee,  Rev.  Graham,  1892 
Lee,  Mrs.,  1893 

Miller,  Rev.  F.  S.,  1892 
Miller,  Mrs.,  1892 

Moffett,  Rev.  S.  A.,  1889 
Moore,  Rev.  S.  P.,  1892 
Moore,  Mrs.,  1892 

Strong,  Miss  Ellen,  J892 
Swallen,  Rev.  W.  L.,  1892 
Swallen,  Mrs.,  1892 

Underwood,  Rev. H.G.  1885 
Underwood,  Mrs.   (Dr. 

Lilian  S.  Horton  '87)1888 
Vinton,  C.  C.,M.D.,  1891 
Vintoi,  Mrs.,  1891 

Wambold,  Miss  C.  C,  1S96 
Wells,  J.  H.,  M.D.,  1896 
Wells,  Mrs.,  1896 

Whiting,  Miss  G.    E., 

M.D.,  1895 

Whittemore,  Rev.  N.C.1896 


897 


Books  of  Reference. 


A  Forbidden  Land.     E.  Oppert.     $5.00. 

Choson.     Percival  Lowell.     $3  00. 

Korea  From  its  Capital.     Rev.  G.  W.  Gilmore.     $1.25. 

Korea,  the  Hermit  Nation.     W.  E.  Griffis.     $3.50 

Korea  Without  and  Within      W.  E.  Griffis.     31.15. 

Life  in  Korea.     W.  R.  Carles.     125.  6d. 

The  Korean  Repository.     Published  in  Seoul. 


Mexico 


MEXICO. 

Mexico  and  Peru  dispute  the  first  place  of 
The  Country  romantic  interest  in  the  early  history  of  the 
New  World.  They  were  the  centres  and  rep- 
resentatives on  the  northern  and  southern  continents  of  the 
highest  native  development  in  civilization  and  power.  The 
land  and  its  native  inhabitants  are  still  essentially  what  they 
were  at  the  time  of  the  Conquest ;  yet  the  student,  conver- 
sant with  history,  cannot  but  lament  the  cruel  deception 
practised  upon  the  worshippers  of  the  fair  god  Quetzalcoatl 
when  they  took  the  pale-faced  Spaniard  for  the  promised 
saviour,  and  let  a  Catholic  Inquisition  replace  their  ancient 
rites.  What  have  three  centuries  of  Spanish  rule  and  Ro- 
manism done  for  Mexico?  There  are  millions  of  men  and 
women  in  Mexico,  of  Indian  blood,  for  whose  present 
degradation  and  ignorance  the  Catholic  Church  is  mainly 
responsible. 

Mexico  is  at  our  very  doors.  We  are  in  daily  inter- 
course with  our  southern  neighbor.  The  country  is  no 
longer  isolated  and  imknown .  The  completion  of  the  great 
trunk  lines  of  railroad  which  cross  the  border  at  El  Paso, 
Eagle  Pass  and  Laredo,  together  with  the  improved  steam- 
ship transit  between  New  York  and  the  ports  of  Tampico 
and  Vera  Cruz,  has  already  made  of  this  sunny  southland  a 
popular  winter  resort  for  American  tourists.  A  host  of 
writers  keep  constantly  before  our  minds  the  community  of 
interests,  social  and  political,  which  unite  to  us,  for  weal  or 
woe,  the  destinies  of  our  sister  republic. 

The  changes  wrought  in  Mexico  during  the  last  two  dec- 
ades are  little  short  of  marvelous.  The  railway,  telegraph, 
telephone  and  other  modern  appliances  are  now  almost  as 
well  known  as  north  of  the  Rio  Grande.  Mexico  is  fast 
rising  to  her  rightful  position  among  the  nations  of  the  New 
World.  This  time  of  progress  and  transition  is  the  supreme 
opportunity  in  which  to  introduce  evangelical  Christianity. 
Upon  the  Christian  people  of  the  United  States,  more  than 
upon  any  others,  rests  this  privilege  and  duty.  Much  has 
been  done  :  much  reniams  to  do. 

(12) 


lyo  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Mexico's  pyramidal  base,  some  1800  miles  in  length,  forms 
the  southern  boundary  of  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Arizona, 
and  California.  Its  extreme  length  is  2000  miles;  and  its 
greatest  breadth,  iioo.  Its  area  is  76,000  square  miles, 
which  would  contain  France  four  times.  New  England 
eleven  times,  or  New  York,  sixteen  times.  It  is  as  wonder- 
ful in  its  variety  of  configuration  and  climate  as  in  its  re- 
sources and  products.  Altitude,  rather  than  latitude, 
determines  temperature,  as  the  whole  country  lies  within  or 
near  the  tropics.  The  lowlands  along  the  coast,  and  in 
some  parts  of  the  interior,  form  the  tierra  caliciite,  which  is 
hot  the  year  around.  The  higher  mountain  slopes  and  up- 
lands constitute  the //>r;«y;7rt,  or  cold  country;  while  the 
great  central  plateaus,  from  four  to  eight  thousand  feet 
above  sea  level,  form  the  temperate  zone  or  tierra  lemplada 
where,  except  for  a  few  weeks  in  winter,  the  climate  is  mild 
and  spring-like.  Instead  of  summer  and  winter,  we  can  say 
with  more  propriety,  that  the  year  is  divided  into  a  wet  and 
dry  season,  in  the  latter  of  which  rain  rarely  falls.  The 
land  is  traversed  by  lofty  mountain  ranges  which  overlook 
wide  valleys  capable  of  great  productiveness  wherever  suffi- 
ciently watered  by  the  natural  rainfall  or  by  an  adequate 
system  of  irrigation. 

A  day's  journey  from  the  hot  lands  to  the  mountains  in- 
cludes a  range  of  temperature  and  products  comprehended 
by  the  latitude  between  Cuba  and  Vermont.  The  flora  is 
magnificent  and  immensely  varied.  Mexico  is  also  an  agri- 
cultural cosmos. 

Coffee  is  a  chief  export  ;  large  sums  of  foreign  capital 
are  invested  in  its  production.  The  manufacture  of  sugar 
is  also  a  leading  industry.  Cotton  can  be  grown.  Havana 
is  glad  to  put  its  brands  upon  Mexican  tobacco.  Rice, 
indigo,  cacao,  vanilla  and  other  tropical  products  flourish  in 
the  lowlands,  while  within  a  hundred  miles  the  uplands 
produce  bounteous  harvests  of  corn  and  wheat.  The  fruits 
and  vegetables  of  temperate  and  tropical  climes  abound. 
All  the  animals  of  these  zones  are  also  found  in  Mexico. 
Extensive  tracts  of  land  are  adapted  to  grazing.  The  west- 
ern coast  has  pearl  fisheries.  \^ast  hennequin  plantations 
constitute  the  chief  wealth  of  the  hot  plains  of  Yucatan. 
Precious  woods  abound  in  the  tropical  forests. 

Mexico  is  famous  for  its  supply  of  the  precious  metals. 
Gold  is  found  in  considerable  abundance,  and  silver,  the 
present   coinage   of  the   country,  in    enormous   quantities. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  171 

Several  large  smelters  have  been  erected  for  the  reduction  of 
the  ore.  Iron  and  other  metals  are  abundant.  There  are 
local  deposits  of  coal,  and  quarries  of  fine  stone.  Im- 
proved machinery  and  implements  of  agriculture  are  being 
slowl}'  but  surely  introduced.  A  great  future  awaits  the 
country  when  forge  and  mill  and  modern  appliances  of 
every  kind  shall  have  superseded  petty  industries  and  hand 
labor. 

While  by  no  means  the  foremost  argument  for  the  Church 
to  act,  and  that  at  once,  the  great  resources  and  vast  poten- 
tial wealth  of  Mexico  are  a  powerful  incentive  to  energetic 
effort  on  our  part.  With  a  coast  line  of  six  thousand  miles, 
Mexico  has  few  rivers  navigable  for  any  distance  into  the  in- 
terior, and  but  few  good  harbors.  The  railroads  will  be  her 
great  lines  of  traffic  ;  and  these  connect  most  naturally  with 
those  of  the  United  States.  We  should  be  her  first  and 
chief  market.  Already  the  sagacity  of  our  capital  is  peering 
thither.  Large  sums  are  being  invested  in  railways  which 
quicken  production  and  give  it  ample  outlet.  If  engineer- 
ing can  level  mountains  and  span  chasms  that  seemed  a  fixed 
barrier,  chiseling  all  impediments  to  the  level  of  its  pur- 
pose, shall  the  pioneers  of  the  gospel,  with  all  its  guaran- 
ties of  civilization,  purity  and  personal  dignity  before  God, 
be  less  ardent,  resolute  and  successful  ? 

Mexico  glories  in  the  history  of  her  native 
The  People  races.  The  story  of  her  ancient  heroes  rivals 
the  epics  of  Homer  and  of  Virgil.  Centuries 
before  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus  or  the  hardy 
Norsemen,  this  continent  was  inhabited  by  tribes  of  men 
more  or  less  civilized  who  founded  veritable  empires  cover- 
ing a  wide  extent  of  territory.  Mexico  was  the  theatre  for 
the  rise  and  fall  of  some  of  the  most  interesting  of  these 
kingdoms. 

Centuries  before  the  opening  of  the  Christian  era,  Asia 
and  Africa,  Egypt,  Phcjenicia  and  the  Far  East,  had  some 
connection  with  the  civilization  that  grew  up  in  x\merica. 
Ancient  documents,  which  many  believe  could  have  shed 
light  on  this  problem,  were  ruthlessly  destroyed  by  Bishop 
Zumarraga  and  his  equally  superstitious  coufrl'res,  because 
the  signs  and  pictures  on  the  "  abominable  scrolls  and  manu- 
scripts'" made  by  the  Mexicans,  were  regarded  as  the 
"embodiment  of  Satanic  art  and  witchery." 

When  Mexico  first  became  known  to  Europe  the  Aztecs 
were  dominant  upon  the  central   tableland.     Beyond  their 


172  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

borders  were  other  tribes  and  nations  of  equal  renown.  The 
remains  of  Maya  civilization  are  among  the  most  remarkable 
in  Mexico.  The  Toltecs  were  famous  builders.  Ruins  of 
vast  extent  still  attest  the  greatness  and  magnificence  of 
these  ancient  races.  The  curious  traveller  climbs  the  pyra- 
mids of  Cholula  and  Teotihuacan,  or  wanders  awestruck  amid 
the  ruins  of  cities  such  as  Uxmal,  Chichen,  Itza  andMitla. 
The  Aztecs,  like  the  Normans  in  England,  and  the  Tartar 
dynasty  in  China,  adopted  many  elements  in  the  civilization 
they  overran.  Their  capital,  Mexico-Tenochtitlan,  the 
American  Venice,  was  erected  amid  the  waters  of  the  lake, 
on  the  spot  where  an  eagle  perched  upon  a  nopal  and  hold- 
ing a  serpent  in  its  beak,  was  first  descried.  This  symbol, 
still  stamped  upon  the  Mexican  banner,  is  significant  of  her 
whole  history.  The  eagle  shall  yet  destroy  the  serpent  of 
evil.  We  have  not  space  to  tell  the  story  of  Aztec  conquest 
which  culminated  in  an  empire  that  extended  from  Zacatecas 
on  the  north  as  far  as  the  Gulf  and  the  heart  of  modern 
Central  America.  In  the  study  of  ancient  Mexican  civili- 
zation we  are  reminded  now  of  Egypt,  now  of  France;  it  is 
marked  by  striking  contrasts.  There  was  a  fair  military 
organization,  a  chieftainship  superior  to  the  mere  tribal  type 
found  further  north,  a  code  of  laws  and  a  gradation  of  courts, 
a  noble  architecture  and  a  skill  in  many  arts  of  daily  life 
that  bespeaks  a  development  probably  equal  to  that  of  some 
parts  of  civilized  Asia.  Their  picture-writing  and  achieve- 
ments in  poetry  and  prose,  together  with  their  numerical 
system  and  astronomical  calculations,  as  also  their  love  of 
flowers,  contrast  strangely  with  the  draconian  sentences 
visited  upon  slight  offences,  and  the  bloody  rites  and  canni- 
balistic orgies  which  stained  their  religious  celebrations. 
The  huge,  hideous  images  that  crowd  the  National  Museum 
in  Mexico  City  tell  plainly  enough  the  story  of  their  idolatry. 
The  carefully  carved  Calendar  Stone  with  its  story  of  scien- 
tific attainment  is  in  striking  contrast  with  the  huge  red 
block  of  porphyry  which  once  crowned  the  Teocalli  of 
Mexico,  in  front  of  the  shrine  of  the  cruel  war-god  Huitzi- 
lopotchli.  The  human  victim,  bedecked  with  flowers,  was 
stretched  upon  the  stone  of  sacrifice.  The  obsidian  knife 
was  plunged  into  his  breast.  The  still  palpitating  heart  was 
dragged  forth,  held  up  to  the  gaze  of  the  multitude,  and 
then  deposited  in  presence  of  the  hideous  idol.  The  body 
was  hurled  down  the  side  of  the  pyramid  to  be  eaten  in  some 
religious  orgy. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  173 

The  ancient  Mexicans  seem  to  have  believed  in  one 
supreme  God  but  they  surrounded  him  by  a  host  of  deified 
human  impulses  and  passions.  Temples  were  numerous 
and  the  priestly  hierarchy  many  and  powerful.  Not  a  few 
of  the  idolatrous  superstitions  of  that  far-off  day  still  lurk 
among  the  so-called  Christian  beliefs  and  practices  of  Mexico. 
Roman  Catholicism,  after  more  than  three  and  a  half  cen- 
turies, has  failed  to  eradicate  them.  It  now  devolves  on 
evangelical  Christianity  to  undertake  the  task.  Of  a  popu- 
lation of  twelve  millions,  perhaps  ten  millions  are  of  pure  or 
mixed  Indian  descent.  The  strength  and  hope  of  the  nation 
is  in  its  native  races.  Some  of  Mexico's  greatest  men  have 
risen  from  the  ranks  of  the  Indians.  The  chief  lady  of 
honor  to  the  Empress  Carlotta  was  a  lineal  descendant  of 
Moctezuma.  One  of  the  principal  nionuments  on  the  Paseo 
de  la  Reforma,  ]\Iexico  City,  commemorates  the  undaunted 
heroism  of  the  last  Aztec  emperor.  Cuautemoc,  who  when 
tortured  by  Cortez  refused  to  reveal  the  hiding  place  of  the 
imperial  treasure.  The  great  reform  president,  Don  Benito 
Juarez,  is  known  as  the  "  Little  Indian."  The  native  race 
has  a  strength  and  stability  of  character  which  sanctified  by 
the  Spirit  of  Christ  may  yet  add  no  insignificant  element  to 
the  progress  of  the  gospel  and  the  welfare  of  mankind  in 
the  New  World. 

p  ,    The  history  of  Mexico   from   the  time  of  the 

Conversion" 0  Conquest  is  a  tragic  drama.  Spain  and  the 
Romanism  \'atican  were  leagued  together  for  the  conquest 
and  conversion  of  the  New  World.  The  Pope 
granted  to  Spain  unlimited  authority  over  the  bodies  and 
souls,  the  property  and  services  of  the  conquered  nations 
over  whom  she  should  unfurl  her  banner  in  the  western 
hemisphere. 

The  Conquest  of  Mexico  by  Cortez  and  his  few  hundred 
followers  compels  our  admiration.  True,  they  were  greatly 
aided  by  the  brave  Tlascalans  and  the  disaffection  of  subject 
tribes;  but  even  thus  it  was  a  might}'  achievement  to  pene- 
trate to  the  heart  of  a  kingdom  such  as  Moctezuma 's,  to 
enter  the  capital  city  and  imprison  the  monarch  in  his 
palace.  A  handful  of  adventurers  sink  their  own  ships  to 
destroy  all  hope  of  retreat,  and  march  to  the  subjugation  of 
a  nation  of  several  million  inhabitants.  There  is,  however, 
a  dark  side  to  the  picture.  The  heroes  of  this  enterprise 
were  animated  by  the  ' '  cursed  lust  for  gold. ' '  Their 
supreme   object   was  to   enrich  themselves.     This  ignoble 


174  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

ambition  marred  the  whole  course  of  Spanish  rule  in  the 
New  World.  The  gold  and  silver  derived  from  Mexico 
alone  reached  in  three  centuries  the  enormous  sum  of 
^"2, 040, coo, coo;  or  an  annual  revenue  for  the  crown  of 
$34,000,000.  No  industry  or  commerce  was  allowed  that 
might  conflict  with  the  supposed  interests  of  the  mother 
country.  When  Hidalgo  attempted  to  introduce  among  his 
parishioners  the  culture  of  the  vine  and  the  manufacture  of 
silk,  the  agents  of  the  viceroy  cut  down  the  mulberry  trees 
and  uprooted  the  vines.  Small  wonder  that  such  a  policy 
alienated  and  embittered  the  Mexican  people.  The  late 
Hon.  Ignacio  Ramirez,  a  pure  Indian,  noted  for  his  elo- 
quence and  erudition,  wrote  in  his  terrible  arraignment  of 
Spanish  misrule:  "The  nobles  saw  in  the  middle  classes 
burden  bearers  and  in  the  Indian  but  an  animal.  It  mat- 
tered not  in  Spain  whether  the  Indians  were  rational  beings 
or  mere  brutes,  freemen  or  slaves,  or  whether  they  were  pre- 
served or  annihilated."  He  adds  that  the  clergy  became 
the  Shylocks  of  Mexico;  they  governed  the  country  through 
the  lay  viceroys;  "  the  Jesuits  were  their  secret  police,  the 
Inquisition  a  living  tomb."  "They  raised  cathedrals  of 
mocking  splendor  and  built  great  convents  and  churchly 
retreats,  while  the  viceroys  built  jails,  mints  and  tax  offices. 
In  a  word  Spain  lost  her  colonies  because  she  cherished 
therein  only  the  tax  collectors,  priests  and  miners." 

The  so-called  conversion  of  the  people  to  Christianity 
was  effected  in  a  way  equall}^  regardless  of  their  rights  as 
free,  rational  beings.  Islam  itself  never  did  better  work  at 
the  point  of  the  sword.  The  story  of  Cortez'  first  efforts  at 
the  conversion  of  the  Indians  is  a  fair  sample  of  the  policy 
pursued.  The  conqueror  was  invited  to  Cempoala  as  a 
guest  of  the  cacique.  He  surrounded  the  heathen  temple 
with  a  cordon  of  soldiers.  The  natives  were  threatened 
with  death  if  they  interfered  The  idols  were  hurled  from 
their  niches,  broken  in  pieces  and  burned.  The  walls  of 
the  pagan  shrine  were  whitened,  an  altar  was  erected  and 
the  image  of  Mary  was  placed  above  it,  and  introduced  to 
the  people  as  the  Mother  of  God.  This  style  of  conversion 
made  it  possible  for  a  single  priest  to  baptize  in  one  day  five 
thousand  "converts."  In  the  course  of  a  few  years  more, 
than  four  millions  experienced  this  baptismal  regeneration. 
Practically  no  instruction  was  given  in  Christian  doctrine  ; 
old  superstitions  remained  in  full  force.  Humboldt  saw  the 
Indians  ' '  perform  savage  dances  around  the  altar,  while  a 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  1 75 

monk  of  St.  Francis  elevated  the  host."  Similar  scenes 
have  been  witnessed  in  recent  years  at  the  shrine  of  Guada- 
lupe The  Abbe  Domenech,  a  trusted  agent  of  Napoleon 
III,  in  Mexico,  wrote  in  1S67,  of  a  similar  dance  in  a  vil- 
lage chapel  which  reminded  him  of  that  of  the  redskins. 
The  priest  defended  the  proceeding  on  the  ground  that  "  the 
old  customs  ( of  heathenism  )  are  respectable  ;  it  is  well  to 
preserve  them,  onl}'  taking  care  that  they  do  not  degenerate 
into  orgies."  This  Roman  Catholic  writer  also  adds  that 
"  it  would  require  volumes  to  relate  the  Indian  superstitions 
of  an  idolatrous  character  which  exist  to  this  day.  For 
want  of  serious  instruction  you  find  in  the  Catholicism  of 
the  Indians  numerous  remains  of  the  old  Aztec  paganism." 
The  facts  justify  Dr.  Abbott's  charge  that  "Christianity, 
instead  of  fulfilling  its  mission  of  enlightening,  converting 
and  sanctifying  the  natives,  was  itself  converted .  Paganism 
was  baptized,  Christianity  was  paganized. ' '  Here  and  there 
a  faithful  priest,  like  Las  Casas,  protested  in  vain  against 
the  futility  and  unworthiness  of  such  methods.  One  of  the 
best  examples  of  the  success  attained  by  this  style  of  pro- 
cedure is  the  devotion  with  which  the  Indians  worship  at 
the  shrine  of  Guadalupe,  whose  temple  occupies  the  spot 
once  sacred  to  Tonantzin,  a  heathen  mother  of  the  gods. 

Cortez  conquered  Mexico  1519-1521.  Later  discoverers 
completed  his  work  until  the  dominion  of  New  Spain  ex- 
tended from  Panama  on  the  south  to  the  northern  limit  of 
old  California.  The  government  was  carried  on  for  three 
hundred  years  under  viceroys,  sixty-four  in  number.  Queen 
Isabella  had  requested  in  her  will  that  the  Indians  to  be 
conquered  in  the  New  World  be  ' '  instructed  in  Catholic 
doctrine"  and  be  "justly  and  well  treated."  The  viceroys 
disregarded  this  humane  request.  The  Roman  Church, 
making  merchandise  of  her  seven  sacraments  and  the  power 
of  the  keys  in  most  shameless  fashion,  secured  through  her 
system  of  forced  gifts  and  mortgages  virtual  possession  of  a 
third  of  the  landed  estate  of  Mexico.  By  judicious  loans 
and  bribery,  her  ready  money  was  skilfully  employed  to 
hold  the  wealthier,  more  enlightened  class  in  check,  and  to 
overawe  or  overturn  any  government  that  showed  too  strong 
a  leaning  toward  liberty. 

For  the  subjugation  of  the  native  population,  which 
formed  the  productive,  laboring  class,  the  hacienda  system 
was  most  effective.  Immense  tracts  of  land,  together  with 
titles    of    nobility,    were   conferred    upon    Spaniards.     The 


176  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

resident  Indians  went  with  the  soil.  Millions  were  thus 
reduced  to  peonage,  another  name  for  slavery.  A  large 
fortified  structure,  the  hacienda,  was  erected  in  the  centre  of 
the  estate  and  around  it  were  grouped  the  huts  of  the  labor- 
ers. The  wages  were  fixed  by  the  hacejidado  or  his  agent, 
at  about  thirty  cents  a  day.  Sundays  and  religious  holi- 
days left  only  about  two  hundred  working  days  in  a  year. 
This  made  the  annual  wage  about  sixty  dollars,  out  of  which 
the  peon  had  to  "  clothe  and  feed  his  family,  meet  a  small 
tax,  probably  for  doctor  and  medicines,  and  pay  besides  the 
exorbitant  exactions  of  a  mercenary  priesthood."  All  pur- 
chases had  to  be  made  at  stores  kept  by  the  hacendado. 
Generally  a  church  was  erected  and  placed  under  the  care  of 
a  Spanish  priest.  In  other  cases  the  periodical  visits  of  a 
neighboring  priest  were  relied  upon.  "  The  poorest  of  the 
poor  were  obliged  to  pay  for  ijaptism,  confirmation,  the 
eucharist,  penance,  matrimony,  or  extreme  unction  a  sum 
equivalent  to  from  ten  to  fifteen  dollars  of  our  money." 
This  was  paid  by  the  owner  and  charged  against  the  peon. 
If  the  laborer  got  in  debt  more  than  twenty  dollars  the  law 
forbade  him  to  leave  the  estate  without  a  written  permit. 
The  peon  thus  became  a  slave  and  was  at  times  even  branded 
with  his  master's  initials.  Ignorant,  oppressed,  degraded, 
the  Indian  of  Mexico  was  accounted  among  the  most  help- 
less and  hopeless  of  the  human  race.  Even  to-day  but  a 
small  percentage  can  read  and  write.  The  Bible,  though 
widely  scattered  by  evangelical  agencies,  is  still  for  the 
masses  a  sealed  and  unknown  book.  Until  the  era  of  mod- 
ern missions  (and  even  yet,  though  to  a  less  extent),  the 
priests,  the  religious  instructors  of  the  people,  were  a  dis- 
solute, carousing,  gambling  set  of  men.  The  convents 
were  nests  of  licentious  idlers — their  god  their  belly.  Under 
the  extortionate  demands  of  the  priests  marriage  had  been 
largely  superseded  by  concubinage.  The  name  of  Jesus 
became  a  synonym  for  Jesuitry  ;  the  gospel  had  become  gall. 
The  moral  reaction  against  this  awful  perversion  of  Chris- 
tianity was  bound  to  come  ;  when  it  began  men  flew  to  the 
opposite  extreme.  The  intelligent  few  who  guided  the  des- 
tinies of  the  new  republic,  with  some  notable  exceptions, 
took  refuge  in  indifference  or  infidelity — at  times  in  prac- 
tical atheism.  This  page  in  Mexico's  history  is  a  terrible 
testimony  to  the  nature  of  Rome's  handiwork  when  allowed 
to  labor  unmolested. 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   MEXICO.  177 

Three  centuries  of  Roman  Catholic  foreign 
Independence    rule    destroyed    the    ancient    civilization     of 

Mexico,  with  many  of  its  memorials ;  op- 
pressed, debased  and  impoverished  the  people;  left  the  coun- 
try without  adequate  means  of  communication,  the  people 
untrained  in  the  arts,  dead  to  enterprise,  ignorant  of  their 
own  vast  resources.  The  history  of  their  awakening  from 
the  lethargy  of  generations,  their  heroic  struggle,  their 
wonderful  success,  their  present  prosperity,  forms  one  of  the 
most  inspiring  dramas  in  human  achievement.  We  are  led 
to  exclaim,  "  What  hath  God  wrought !" 

When  Napoleon  broke  the  sceptre  of  Castile  in  1808, 
Mexico  began  to  breathe.  The  first  blow  for  independence 
was  struck  by  a  priest,  an  old  man  sixty  years  of  age,  Don 
Miguel  Hidalgo  y  Costilla.  He  is  called  the  Washington 
of  Mexico.  "  His  heart  was  kind  and  sympathetic,  his 
manner  soft  and  winning  ;  his  voice  sonorous  and  vibrating; 
his  deportment  natural  and  attractive.  The  clear,  brilliant 
black  eyes  betrayed  the  activity  of  the  mind,  and  through 
them  shone  the  light  from  the  burning  fires  within."  On 
Saturday  night,  September  15,  18 10,  at  the  town  of  Dol- 
ores, in  the  State  of  Guanajuato,  Hidalgo  gathered  a  little 
company  about  him  and  raised  the  Grito,  or  cry  for  inde- 
pendence. At  day-dawn  Sunday  morning,  the  parish 
church  bell,  which  now  hangs  in  front  of  the  National 
Palace,  Mexico  City,  was  rung  for  the  first  time  in  behalf  of 
liberty.  Hidalgo's  followers  increased  rapidly  as  he  marched 
southward,  until  from  the  summit  of  Las  Cruces  he  looked 
down  upon  Mexico  City,  with  not  exactly  an  army,  but  a 
horde  of  one  hundred  thousand  men ,  women  and  children . 
They  were  poorly  armed  and  undisciplined.  The  capital 
was  strongh^  fortified  and  garrisoned  by  the  best  troops  of 
New  Spain.  Hidalgo  turned  back,  was  pursued,  betrayed 
and  finally  shot  on  the  31st  of  July,  181  r.  The  cause  did 
not  die  with  him.  Other  leaders  rose  to  carry  on  the 
struggle.  Morelos,  also  a  priest,  made  himself  famous  by 
his  masterlj'  campaigns.  In  1815  he  too  was  executed,  but 
not  until  a  national  Congress  had  gathered  in  Chilpancingo 
and  made  a  formal  declaration  of  independence.  Guerilla 
warfare  kept  patriotism  alive  until  in  1821  a  liberator  was 
found  in  Iturbide.  Unfortunately  he  was  more  animated  by 
personal  ambition  than  by  patriotism.  He  had  himself  pro- 
claimed emperor,  but  was  banished  and  finally  shot.  It  is 
not    our   purpose   to   follow   the   confusing   details   of  the 


178  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Struggle,  nor  the  wars  with  Texas  and  the  United  States 
which  deprived  Mexico  of  the  northern  portion  of  her  terri- 
tory. The  iniquity  of  this  latter  war  and  of  the  hidden 
purpose  which  animated  it  have  been  often  dwelt  upon. 
God,  however,  overruled  it  all  for  good.  The  whole  vast 
region  ceded  to  the  United  States  has  been  thrown  open  to 
liberty,  enlightenment  and  evangelical  Christianity. 

After  the  American  war  Santa  Anna  again  came  into 
power,  and  proclaimed  himself  permanent  dictator.  A 
ready  tool  in  the  hands  of  the  clerical  party,  he  recalled  the 
Jesuits  and  began  negotiations  in  Europe  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  monarchy  in  Mexico  His  expulsion  from  power 
inaugurated  a  new  epoch.  The  Mexican  struggle  lor  inde- 
pendence was  immeasurably  harder  than  our  own.  The 
masses  were  debased  by  poverty  and  ignorance,  without 
schools  or  literature,  and  above  all,  without  the  Bible  The 
landed  aristocracy  and  the  Church  were  in  league  against 
the  reformers.  The  liberal  leaders  often  had  no  suitable 
arms  nor  ammunition  till  they  were  won  on  the  field  of 
battle.  As  if  all  this  were  not  enough,  Pope  Pius  IX.  and 
Napoleon  III.  entered  into  a  compact  or  conspiracy  which 
contemplated  not  merely  the  humiliation  of  Mexico  under 
a  foreign  sovereign,  but  also  the  final  entire  subjugation  of 
the  whole  American  continent  under  the  papal  See.  The 
Monroe  doctrine  was  to  be  reduced  to  a  dead  letter,  the 
influence  of  Protestant  America  was  to  be  nullified  and 
Romanism  was  to  reign  supreme  in  the  western  Hemisphere. 
Against  such  odds  the  liberals  of  Mexico  had  to  contend. 
They  were  not  free  of  course  from  personal  ambition  and  a 
desire  to  enrich  themselves  with  the  spoils  taken  from  the 
clergy;  but  after  all  due  allowance  has  been  made,  the 
grandeur  of  their  triumph  is  worthy  of  highest  praise. 

In  the  last  act  in  the  drama  of  Mexico's  struggle  for 
liberty  tlie  principal  hero  is  Don  Benito  Juarez.  He  is  the 
Mexican  Lincoln;  the  typical  representative  of  the  best  ele- 
ment in  the  native  race.  Not  a  drop  of  Spanish  blood 
flowed  in  his  veins  He  was  born  in  1806  in  an  Indian 
village  near  Oaxaca.  Till  the  age  of  twelve  years  he  was 
unable  to  speak  the  Spanish  language.  He  began  life  in 
Oaxaca  as  errand  boy  in  a  lawyer's  office.  He  rose  to  a 
high  position  at  the  bar,  became  governor  of  Oaxaca,  a 
deputy  to  the  National  Congress  of  1S46,  a  member  of  the 
Mexican  cabinet.  President  of  the  republic,  "the  saviour  of 
the    honor  of  his   country."     Exiled  by    Santa  Anna,   he 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  179 

supported  himself  for  two  years  in  New  Orleans  "twisting 
cigars."  In  connection  with  Alvarez,  and  later  with 
Conionfort,  Juarez  took  an  important  part  in  the  preparation 
of  the  Constitution  of  1857,  and  in  1859,  when  himself 
President,  first  issued  his  celebrated  Laws  of  Reform. 

It  was  then  that  the  danger  from  abroad  began  to  darken 
the  Mexican  horizon.  About  eighty-two  million  dollars  of 
the  national  debt  was  held  abroad,  mainly  in  England  and 
Spain,  and  less  than  three  millions  by  French  capitalists. 
Napoleon  III.,  with  the  co-operation  of  England  and  Spain, 
undertook  to  enforce  these  claims  and  sent  an  escort  of 
seven  thousand  soldiers  to  "protect"  his  agents.  Later, 
after  England  and  Spain  had  withdrawn,  the  French  marched 
on  the  capital  and  Juarez  was  driven  to  El  Paso.  The  crown 
of  Mexico  was  offered  to  the  Archduke  Maximilian  of 
Austria  and  accepted.  The  Pope  assured  him  of  an  enthu- 
siastic greeting  from  the  Mexican  people.  Motley  wrote: 
"  We  have  nothing  green  here  (in  Austria)  but  the  Arch- 
duke Maximilian,  who  firmly  believes  that  he  is  going  forth 
to  Mexico  to  establish  an  American  empire  and  that  it  is  his 
divine  commission  to  destroy  the  dragon  of  democracy  and 
re-establish  the  true  Church.  Poor  young  man!"  For  a 
few^  troublous  years,  1864-1867,  Maximilian  did  exercise  a 
precarious  authority  in  Mexico,  backed  by  foreign  bayonets. 
When  our  own  Civil  War  ended,  Mr.  Seward  intimated  to 
Napoleon  that  the  French  troops  must  be  withdra\vn  from 
Mexico,  and  Maximilian,  left  alone,  was  defeated,  taken 
prisoner  and  shot,  in  1867,  in  spite  of  the  appeals  in  his 
behalf  from  Austria,  France,  F>gland  and  the  United  States. 
Juarez  expressed  the  popular  opinion  when  he  said:  ' '  Allow 
him  to  go  now  and  there  is  no  knowing  what  the  pope  and 
some  European  power  might  contrive  in  the  future.  No; 
the  lesson  has  been  a  dear  one  for  us  and  we  must  now  teach 
a  corresponding  one  to  Pius  IX.,  Napoleon,  and  all  the 
world." 

After  ten  years  of  hard  struggle,  during  which  he  had 
carried  the  republic  in  his  head  and  heart,  Juarez  again  came 
into  the  full  possession  of  power,  and  labored  to  restore  to 
order  his  distracted  country.  He  re  enforced  the  Constitu- 
tion of  1857  and  the  Laws  of  Reform;  and  Mexico,  triumph- 
ant over  her  foes  from  without  and  from  within,  entered  at 
last  upon  her  modern  career  of  progress  and  prosperity. 
The  Constitution  secured  the  abolition  of  slavery  and  the 
freedom    of  religion  and   the    Press;    the   subordination  of 


l8o  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

the  army  to  the  civil  power;  the  abolition  of  military  and 
ecclesiastical  fiieros  or  special  tribunals;  the  negotiation  of 
commercial  treaties;  the  opening  of  the  country  to  immigra- 
tion and  foreign  enterprise;  and  also  the  nationalization  of  all 
church  propert3%  variously  estimated  at  from  $200,000,000 
to  $300,000,000.  The  Laws  of  Reform  enacted  the  absolute 
separation  of  Church  and  State,  while  guaranteeing  the  free 
exercise  of  religious  services  (these  to  be  always  public) ; 
political  recognition  of  all  church  holidays  except  the  Sab- 
bath was  abolished.  Clerical  vestments,  religious  proces- 
sions and  worship  were  forbidden  on  the  streets.  The 
Sisters  of  Charity  were  disbanded,  monastic  orders  were 
forbidden  and  the  Jesuits  were  expelled.  Marriage  was 
made  a  civil  contract;  and  gifts  to  religious  institutions  were 
declared  unlawful,  except  for  exclusively  religious  purposes. 
No  doubt  some  who  advocated  these  measures  were  animated 
by  a  desire  to  enrich  themselves  at  the  expense  of  the  clergy. 
There  was,  however,  a  grander  principle  involved.  The 
liberals  justified  their  course  by  the  statement  that  most  of 
the  property  held  by  the  Church  had  been  wrung  from  the 
people  by  deception  and  other  unjust  means;  of  this  the 
proof  is  ample.  A  sufficient  number  of  church  buildings 
were  set  apart  for  Roman  Catholic  worship.  The  leases  run 
for  ninety-nine  years  but  the  State  is  the  real  owner.  This 
was  made  strikingly  manifest,  when  Governor  Baz  on  one 
occasion  rode  into  the  Cathedral,  Mexico  City,  at  the  head 
of  his  mounted  police,  arrested  the  bishop  who  was  denounc- 
ing the  Reform  Laws,  turned  out  the  audience  and  locked 
the  doors  of  the  church.  There  is,  however,  at  present  no 
real  persecution  of  the  clergy.  Minor  violations  of  the  law 
are  constantly  winked  at,  the  clergy  are  again  making  osten- 
tatious display  of  their  wealth  and  renovating  the  churches 
in  their  possession.  Romanism  seems  to  be  growing  in 
popularity  among  the  wealthy  classes;  but  the  strength  of 
her  political  control  is  broken,  and  if  the  liberals  are  ordi- 
narily vigilant  the  clergy  will  never  again  be  all  powerful  in 
Mexico. 

Since  1876,  with  the  single  exception  of  Gen.  Gonzalez' 
term  of  four  years.  Gen.  Porfirio  Diaz  has  held  the  supreme 
magistracy.  "He  has  gathered  about  him  many  able  men. 
The  country  has  enjoyed  peace  and  a  stable  government. 
The  population  is  steadily  increasing  and  now  numbers  over 
twelve  millions.  Mexico  City  has  325,000  inhabitants. 
Mexico  is  a  republic  comprising  27  states,  2  territories  and 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  l8l 

the  Federal  District.  Her  political  system  is  chiefly  bor- 
rowed from  our  own  and  is  nearly  its  counterpart.  The 
president  is  elected  for  four  years;  the  senators  for  four,  and 
the  deputies  for  a  term  of  two  years.  The  chief  justice, 
elected  for  six  years,  is  ex-ojjicio  vice-president.  Each  state 
has  its  local  constitution,  with  elective  governor  and  legis- 
lature. The  navy  is  insignificant,  but  the  army  is  efficient 
and  about  the  size  of  our  own.  Interstate  duties  have 
at  last  been  abolished.  In  1867  there  were  less  than  one 
hundred  miles  of  railroad,  now  (1897)  there  are  more  than 
seven  thousand.  From  Mexico  City  there  are  two  trunk 
lines  to  the  frontier  and  a  third  from  Durango;  two  lines 
from  the  capital  to  Vera  Cruz;  Tampico  is  connected  by  rail 
with  San  Luis  Potosi  and  Monterey.  A  line  is  in  construc- 
tion from  Mexico  City  to  Acapulco.  Nearly  all  the  state 
capitals  can  be  reached  by  rail  or  fast  steamers.  There  are 
over  25,000  miles  of  telegraph,  man}^  telephone  lines  and  all 
the  chief  cities  are  lighted  by  electricity.  The  banking 
facilities  have  grown  greatly,  the  revenue  from  all  sources 
has  notably  and  steadily  increased.  Mexico's  credit  is  good 
at  home  and  abroad.  Immigrants  and  foreign  capital  are 
entering  the  country.  Mines,  coffee  lands,  and  other  indus- 
tries are  attracting  attention.  Primary  education  is  compul- 
sory, though  the  law  is  not  always  enforced,  and  outside  of 
the  larger  cities  the  schools  are  often  unsatisfactory.  Several 
million  dollars  are  spent  annually  out  of  the  public  revenue 
for  education,  methods  and  appliances  are  steadily  improving 
and  many  of  the  higher  grade  schools  are  worthy  of  com- 
mendation. 

Directly  by  her  missions,  and  in  countless  indirect  ways, 
evangelical  Christianity  has  played  an  important  part  in  this 
transformation  of  Mexico.  Our  work,  however,  has  but 
just  begun.  We  have  much  to  contend  against.  On  one 
side  Romanism,  on  the  other  infidelity,  oppose  our  advance. 
The  priests  denounce  us  as  political  agents  who  secretly 
work  for  annexation  to  the  United  States.  There  is,  how- 
ever, no  reason  why  Protestantism  should  not  establish  a 
strong  self-supporting  evangelical  church  in  Mexico  The 
facts  and  statistics  which  follow  can  give  but  an  inadequate 
idea  of  our  influence  upon  the  thought  and  life  of  the 
Republic.  Not  the  least  of  our  influences  is  that  upon  the 
Church  of  Rome,  which  has  learned  to  blush  for  its  misdeeds 
in  Mexico  and,  as  usual,  to  deny  the  record  of  history. 
Protestantism  has  not  failed  in  Mexico. 


1 82  historical  sketch  of 

Evangelical  Missions. 

The  war  with  Mexico  opened  the  way  for  the 
The  Bible  introduction  of  the  Bible.     An  edition  of  the 

Scriptures  in  Spanish  had  just  been  issued  in 
the  United  States.  Mr.  Norris,  an  agent  of  the  American 
Bible  Scciet}',  accompanied  our  army  and  distributed  many 
copies.  The  success  of  our  arms  increased  the  curiosity  of 
many  to  see  the  Book  to  which  American  prosperity  was  so 
often  attributed.  Among  these  early  seekers  after  truth 
were  some  priests.  After  the  departure  of  the  Americans, 
the  Roman  Catholic  clergy  collected  and  burned  all  the 
copies  of  the  Bible  they  could  find.  Many,  however,  es- 
caped destruction.  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  Butler  speaks  of  a  visit 
which  he  made  in  1874  to  a  cave  in  a  deep  gorge  of  the 
mountains  near  Mexico  City  where  years  before  a  little  com- 
pany of  devout  Mexicans  had  secretly  gathered  to  read  the 
Word  of  God.  The  old,  well-worn  Bibles  of  that  day  are 
already  objects  of  peculiar  veneration.  In  i860  the  Ameri- 
can Bible  Society  opened  work  in  Matamoros  ;  in  1864  in 
Monterey;  and  in  1879  in  Mexico  City,  with  colporteurs  in 
all  parts  of  the  Republic.  B.  and  F.  B.  S.,  1864-78.  In  the 
last  eighteen  years  there  have  been  put  into  circulation  in 
various  ways  515,559  copies  of  Bibles,  Testaments  and 
portions  of  the  Scriptures .  All  over  Mexico  there  are  groups 
of  Bible  readers  weary  of  Rome  and  eager  for  the  gospel. 
p.  The   first  formal   mission  work   in   behalf  of 

Workers  Mexico  was   done  by   Miss   Melinda   Rankin. 

Her  simple  story  "  Twenty  Years  in  Mexico" 
bears  striking  testimony  to  the  providence  of  God  in  the 
choice  of  instruments  for  His  work.  This  heroine,  single- 
handed,  made  her  first  approaches  in  the  border  town  of 
Brownsville,  Texas.  There  she  started  a  school  which  was 
maintained  until  the  era  of  our  Civil  War.  In  1864  Miss 
Rankin  crossed  to  Matamoros.  In  1865  she  raised  $1500  in 
the  United  States  by  personal  appeal.  This  money  was 
used  to  train  and  .send  out  Mexican  colporteurs  under  her 
personal  direction.  In  [866  she  made  Monterey  the  centre 
of  her  operations.  As  Miss  Rankin  was  a  Presbyterian  her 
labors  are  sometimes  looked  upon  as  the  beginning  of  our 
mission  work  in  Mexico.  About  1852,  Dr.  G.  M.  Prevost, 
who  had  first  come  to  Mexico  as  surgeon  in  the  American 
army,  located  in  Zacatecas,  where,  in  addition  to  his  medical 
practice    he    began   gospel   work    in   and   around   the  city. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO  183 

This  work  was  afterward  taken   up  and  carried   on  by  our 
PresbN'terian  Board. 

Miss  Rankin's  work  is  also  intimately  connected  with 
the  beginning  of  Baptist  and  Episcopal  Missions.  In  the 
autumn  of  1S62  Rev.  James  Hickey  began  work  at  Mont- 
erey as  an  independent  missionary  ;  he  opened  services  in 
March,  1S63  and  in  January,  1864  organized  what  is 
claimed  to  be  the  first  evangelical  church  in  Mexico.  T.  M. 
Westrup,  who  was  ordained  as  pastor,  has  continued  in  the 
Baptist  mission  work  till  the  present  day  (1897),  although 
it  was  not  until  1870  that  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society  undertook  his  support.  In  1864  Mr.  Hickey 
was  appointed  agent  of  the  A.  B.  S. 

In  1869  the  x\merican  and  Foreign  Christian  Union  sent 
to  Mexico  City  Rev.  H.  C.  Riley,  pastor  of  a  Spanish  con- 
gregation in  New  York.  He  drew  to  his  side  Francisco 
Aguilas,  a  former  Romish  ecclesiastic,  and  a  gifted  Domini- 
can friar,  Manual  Aguas.  Many  who  were  alienated  from 
Rome  but  who  preferred  the  Episcopal  form  of  government 
and  worship  gathered  about  them  and  organized  the 
"Church  of  Jesus  '  with  Mr.  Riley  as  bishop.  This  was 
the  beginning  of  the  Episcopal  mission  in  Mexico. 
_  .  .  „  xAbout  a  dozen  Boards.  Societies  and  inde- 
Worki^np  °^  pendent  organizations  at  present  have  work  in 
Mexico.  The  facts  and  figures  here  presented 
were  collected  by  Rev.  Dr.  John  W.  Butler  and  read  before 
the  First  (1888)  and  Second  (1897)  General  Assembly  of 
Christian  Workers  in  Mexico.  They  were  made  as  accurate 
as  possible  and  will  serve  to  give  an  idea  of  the  extent  and 
strength  of  Protestantism  in  Mexico,  after  about  a  genera- 
tion of  aggressive  work. 

(1)  Presbyterians:. — There  are  four  denominations,  name- 
ly, Presbyterians,  North  ;  Presbyterians,  South  ;  Associate 
Reformed  Presbyterians,  South  ;  and  Cumberland  Presby- 
terians. They  began  work  in  the  order  in  which  they  are 
named.  Our  Church  is  the  strongest  and  most  widely  ex- 
tended ;  the  work  is  given  in  detail  further  on.  The  work 
of  the  Southern  Presbyterians  is  in  the  states  of  Tamaulipas 
and  Nuevo  Leon,  with  girls'  boarding-schools  in  Browns- 
ville and  Einares.  The  work  of  the  ^Associate  Reformed 
began  in  Tampico,  ceded  by  our  mission,  and  is  located  in 
three  states.  Vera  Cruz,  Tamaulipas  and  S.  L.  Potosl.  The 
Cumberland   Brethren   have  work   in   Aguas  Calientes  and 


1 84  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

Guanajuato,  in  each  of  which  they  have  a  girls'  boarding- 
school. 

(2)  Baptist. — The  work  is  carried  on  by  two  societies, 
representing  the  Northern  and  Southern  Baptists.  Their 
work  is  widely  extended.  Mexico  City,  Guadalajara  and 
Saltillo  are  their  most  important  centres.  They  have  excel- 
lent educational  institutions  in  Saltillo. 

(3)  Methodists. — Two  denominations,  the  M.E.,  North, 
and  the  Methodists,  South.  The  work  of  the  latter  is  most 
widely  extended  ;  their  Theological  Seminary  is  at  S.  L. 
Potosi ;  their  girls'  boarding  school  is  at  Saltillo.  Mexico 
City  is  also  a  centre.  The  Northern  Methodists  have  a  com- 
pact, well -organized  work,  own  the  finest  property,  espe- 
cially in  Mexico  City  and  Puebla,  where  they  have  fine 
girls'  boarding-schools,  and  in  Puebla  their  seminary.  In 
Guanajuato  they  have  a  fully  equipped  medical  mission  with 
hospital  and  dispensaries. 

(4)  Congrcgationalists . — Their  chief  centres  are  Guada- 
lajara, Chihuahua  and  El  Paso,  Texas,  w^here  their  train- 
ing school  for  boys  is  located.  Their  girls'  schools  are  at 
Guadalajara  and  Chihuahua. 

(5)  Protestant  Episcopal. — In  1883  Bishop  Riley  resigned 
his  episcopal  office,  although  he  still  carries  on  independent 
work  The  work  of  the  mission  is  at  present  directed  by  a 
counsellor  or  missionary  appointed  by  the  Episcopal  Church 
in  the  United  States.  Mexico  City  is  their  centre,  where 
they  also  have  a  school  for  girls. 

(6)  Friends  or  Quakers. — Their  principal  centres  are 
Matamoros  and  Victoria  in  the  state  of  Tamaulipas.  They 
are  noted  for  quiet  efficiency,  the  excellence  of  their  schools 
and  the  number  of  religious  and  educational  works  they 
have  published. 

(7)  Independents . — This  is  the  only  English  mission  work 
in  Mexico.  The  first  worker  was  Mr.  James  Pascoe,  who 
made  Toluca  his  centre  and  issued  many  tracts  and  large 
letter  wall  texts  which  he  scattered  all  over  Mexico.  The 
present  representative  is  Mr.  Harris,  who  has  a  press  in 
Orizaba  and  works  in  the  same  way.  He  is  supported  by 
voluntary  contributions  sent  from  England. 

(8)  Seventh  Day  Adventists. — They  have  a  sanitarium 
and  m.edical  mission  in  Guadalajara. 

Union  '^^^  work    of  the  Bible  Societies  has  already 

Societies  been  referred  to;  there  is  also  a  Tract  Society 

in  Mexico  City  which  receives  annually  a  grant 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MKXICO.  1 85 

of  /,'ioo  from  London  Protestant  services  in  English  are 
held  in  Mexico  City  (three),  Pachuca,  S.  L.  Potosi,  Guada- 
lajara, Chihuahua,  and  Monterey.  There  is  also  a  Union 
Sunday-school  organization  which  meets  every  three  years 
and  a  United  Society  of  Christian  Ivndeavor  which  holds 
annual  conventions.  Two  (jcneral  Assemblies  of  Christian 
Workers  Imve  been  held  and  a  notable  gathering  of  mission- 
aries in  Toluca  in  1895  when  Mr.  Moody  was  present.  The 
last  Assembly  (1897)  recommended  the  appointment  of  a 
committee  to  revise  the  modern  Spanish  version  of  the 
Bible  on  which  Rev.  H.  B.  Pratt  has  spent  nearly  forty  years. 
There  are  six  mission  presses  which  report  having  issued 
109,000,000  pages  of  Christian  literature.  This  figure  prob- 
ably does  not  represerit  one-half  of  the  real  amount.  The 
total  value  of  mission  property  is  about  a  million  dollars. 

Nearly  all  our  missions  have  suffered  persecu- 
Martyrs  tion,  often  of  a  bloody  nature.      Not  far  from 

a  hundred  martyrs  have  fallen  in  these  fiery 
trials.  Their  names  form  our  honor  roll  and  the  memory  of 
their  courage  and  love  for  Christ  are  a  constant  incentive  to 
greater  activity. 

The  figures  given  in  the  following  table  may 
Statistics  seem    dry    reading       It    is    true   they   cannot 

adequately  portray  all  that  has  been  done  and 
suffered  for  Mexico's  evangelization;  still  a  quickened  imagi- 
nation can  see  in  every  congregation  a  lighthouse  of  truth; 
in  every  tract  and  paper,  a  leaf  from  the  tree  of  life;  in  every 
worker,  a  herald  of  salvation;  and  in  every  convert,  a  living 
witness  to  the  pow.er  of  redeeming  grace.  Thus  viewed 
these  figures  are  indeed  eloquent  and  cause  for  devout  thank- 
fulness ! 


(13) 


1 86 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


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THE   MISSIONS   IN    MEXICO.  1 87 


The  Presbyterian   Mission. 

In  1872  our  General  Assembly  voted  to  open  work  in 
Mexico,  and  on  September  23  of  the  same  3'ear  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Thomson,  Phillips  and  Pitkin,  with  their  wives, 
sailed  from  New  York.  They  went  direct  to  Mexico  City 
where  they  found  a  large  body  of  Mexican  believers  of  anti- 
prelatical  convictions  who  formed  some  nine  independent 
congregations.  Most  of  these  earl}^  workers  joined  our  own 
or  some  other  mission,  and  many  have  long  since  gone  to 
their  reward.  One,  Rev.  Arcadio  Morales,  is  still  with  us 
and  active  as  pastor  and  evangelist.  The  new  missionaries 
soon  organized  the  work,  opened  regular  services  and  began 
the  administration  of  the  sacraments. 

Mexico  City  has  been  the  centre  from  which  our  work  in 
southern  Mexico  has  radiated;  in  the  North  the  centres  were 
Zacatecas,  Monterey  (later  Saltillo),  and  San  Luis  Potosi. 

Field  Work. 

Population  325,000.  We  have  here  three 
Mexico  City      organized  congregations,  five  preaching  halls, 

six  day-schools,  the  Girls'  Normal  Boarding- 
School,  14  Christian  Endeavor  societies,  twelve  Sunday- 
schools,  including  one  in  the  National  prison,  Belem;  and 
the  Press.  In  addition  to  three  paid  Mexican  workers,  there 
are  many  unpaid  preachers.  The  mission  owns  the  girls' 
school  building  and  two  churches,  one  of  which,  Divino 
Salvador,  was  donated  by  Mr.  Hutchinson.  The  people 
pay  part  of  the  pastor's  salary,  the  rent  of  three  halls  and  all 
incidental  expenses.  Rev.  Hubert  W.  Brown  is  the  resident 
missionary 

P  ,      .  Services  are  held  in  six  towns  in  the  valley  of 

District  Mexico.     Chapels  are  owned  in  San  Andres, 

San  Lorenzo  and  Tizapan.  In  this  last  there 
can  still  be  seen  the  marks  of  bullets  fired  at  the  congrega- 
tion when  work  was  begun. 

g  ,  The  congregations  form  two  groups.     Ozumba 

Mexico  ^"*^  ^^^^^   out-stations  are  on  the  line  of  the 

Interoceanic  R.  R.  at  the  base  of  Popocatepetl. 
Chapels  are  owned  in  Ozumba  and  Tepecoculco.  In  the 
Toluca  valley,  on  the  line  of  the  Mexican  National  R.  R., 
we  have  work  in  Toluca,  capital  of  the  state,  and  three  out- 


1 88  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

Stations.  In  Almoloya  del  Rio,  where  we  now  have  a  day- 
school,  Don  Nicanor  Gomez  was  killed  by  a  Romish  mob 
when  services  were  opened. 

A  mountainous  state,  off  the  general  line  of 
Guerrero  travel.     The  Mexican,  Cuernavaca  and  Pacific 

R.  R.  is  in  process  of  construction  to  Chilpan- 
cingo  and  Acapulco.  In  1875,  on  invitation,  Mr.  Hutchinson 
visited  Acapulco  and  held  services  in  an  abandoned  chapel. 
The  congregation  was  attacked  and  many  killed.  Don 
Procopio  Diaz  was  severely  wounded  in  the  head,  and  lost 
two  fingers  from  one  hand.  The  work  has  never  been 
reopened.  Work  in  other  parts  of  state  was  continued  by 
P.  C.  Diaz,  Matilde  Rodriguez  and  Simon  Diaz.  In  1884, 
Rev.  J.  M.  Greene  visited  the  state  and  in  seven  weeks  estab- 
lished thirteen  congregations,  organized  six  churches  and 
baptized  280  converts.  Persecution  has  broken  out  from 
time  to  time  and  in  1887  Rev.  Abraham  Gomez  was  killed 
at  Ahuacatitlaii.  In  1894  Rev.  Wm.  Wallace  took  up  his 
residence  in  Chilpancingo  where  the  mission  owns  property 
centrally  located.  Many  of  the  congregations  own  chapels. 
The  field  is  promising.  Rev.  George  Johnson  is  at  present 
in  charge. 

Zitacuaro  is  called  the  ' '  heroic  ' '  because  of  its 
Zitacuaro.  brave  stand  for   liberty.     In  1877  Rev.  Hesi- 

quio  Forcada  entered  the  place.  Six  years 
previous  four  hundred  Bibles  and  many  tracts  had  been 
introduced  by  a  bookseller.  The  way  was  thus  prepared. 
Later  Rev.  Daniel  Rodriguez  made  Zitacuaro  his  place  of 
residence.  In  a  short  time,  within  a  radius  of  thirty-five 
miles  there  were  sixteen  congregations  with  an  enrollment 
of  five  hundred  members.  In  1889  Mr.  Brown  made  a 
visit  to  Huetamo  and  points  beyond.  He  found  Bible  readers 
everywhere.  In  1893  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Campbell  took  up  their 
residence  in  Zitacuaro.  They  have  since  carried  the  gospel 
in  long  mission  tours  as  far  as  the  Pacific.  In  1896  Rev. 
and  Mrs .  Vanderbilt  were  also  stationed  at  Zitacuaro .  There 
is  but  one  paid  Mexican  worker  in  this  extensive  field.  The 
mission  owns  property  in  Zitacuaro,  Tuxpan  and  Jungapeo. 
The  Michoacan  and  Pacific  R.  R.  reached  Zitacuaro  in 
1897. 

The  work  was  begun  by  Mr.  Hutchinson  and 
Vera  Cruz  extended  by  Revs.  Greene,  Brown  and  Boyce. 

Jalapa,  Misantla  and  Vera  Cruz  are  the  centres. 
Work  is  largely  in  the  ranches. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO.  1 89 

A  Gulf  State,  isolated  and  hot.  Work  was 
Tabasco  begun  in  1S83  by  Dr.  Greene  and  grew  rapidly. 

From  1893  to  1896  Rev,  C.  C.  Millar  made  San 
Juan  Bautista,  the  capital,  his  place  of  residence.  Frontera, 
Paraiso  and  Comalcalco  are  other  principal  points. 

First  visited  by  Rev.  Mr.  Phillips  ;  the  work 
Yucatan  was  organized  by  Dr.  J.  M.  Greene,  and  later 

directed  by  Mr.  Millar.  Merida,  the  capital, 
with  50,000  inhabitants,  is  the  centre.  Maxcanu  is  the  only 
out-station  ;  but  one  native  worker. 

<;      J    .  Work  was  begun  bv  Rev.  H.  C.  Thomson  from 

Potosr^  1873,    carried   on  by  Rev.    M.    E.    Beall  and 

later  by  Rev.  C.  Scott  Williams,  who  was 
also  given  charge  of  the  Hidalgo  field,  a  mountainous  region 
where  we  have  six  congregations.  This  work  was  started 
by  Messrs.  Forcada  and  Salazar.  There  are  numerous  out- 
stations  around  San  Luis  Potosi ;  and  the  Huasteca  region 
offers  a  wide  field  for  new  work.  The  mission  owns  a 
chapel  in  S.  L.  Potosi.  The  city,  at  the  junction  of  the 
National  R.  R.  and  the  Tampico  branch  of  the  Central 
R.  R..  is  growing  and  prosperous. 

This  work  was  begun  by  Dr.  G.  M.  Prevost, 
Zacatecas  whose  death  in  1896  was  deeply  lamented  by 

the  whole  mission.  Zacatecas  is  an  import- 
ant mining  centre,  one  of  the  three  most  picturesque 
cities  in  America.  The  mission  owns  the  large  church 
of  San  Augustin.  The  field  has  an  extreme  length  of 
four  hundred  miles  and  reaches  over  into  the  states 
of  Durango  and  Coahuila.  There  are  some  thirty  con- 
gregations and  preaching  places,  under  the  care  of  native 
workers.  Rev.  Luis  Amaya  deserves  special  mention  for 
his  pioneer  work  in  this  field  and  his  executive  ability  as  an 
organizer.  Revs.  Thomson  and  Phillips  and  many  others 
have  worked  in  this  field,  though  it  is  principally  identified 
with  Rev.  T.  F.  Wallace,  one  of  our  two  remaining  veteran 
missionaries.  Rev.  W.  H.  Semple  is  at  present  associated 
with  him  in  the  care  of  the  field. 

This  formerly  made  part  of  the  Zacatecas  field 
Tlaltenango      but  is  at  present  under  the  care  of  Rev.  D.  J. 
.  Stewart,  who  completed  twenty-one  years  of 
service  in  1896.     There  are  numerous  out-stations, 
jyj  ,   This  embraces  our  work  in  the  states  of  Coa- 

Saltillo  ^  huila  and  Nuevo  Leon.     The  first  centre  was 

Monterey,  where  Miss  Rankin  began  the  work. 


IQO  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Later  the  school  and  mission  residence  were  transferred  to 
Saltillo,  where  a  fine  property  is  owned,  including  chapel, 
parsonage  and  school  building.  Both  points  are  on  the 
National  R.  R.  The  field  is  a  large  one  with  many  out- 
stations,  most  of  which  are  on  the  line  of  the  railroads  that 
intersect  the  field.  Rev.  Dr.  Thomson  was  one  of  the  first 
workers,  followed  by  Revs.  Boyce  and  Beall.  The  mission- 
ary in  charge  is  Rev.  Wm.  Wallace. 

The  Mexican  Home  Mission  Board,  organized  in  1890  by 
the  Presbytery  of  the  City  of  Mexico,  supports  two  native 
evangelists,  in  the  states  of  Guerrero  and  Mexico,  by  native 
contributions  received  from  different  churches.  Several 
hundred  dollars  are  raised  annually. 

Educational  Work. 

Embraces  a  Bible  school  or  seminary,  two  girls'  normal 
and  boarding-schools  and  many  day-schools. 

Students  for  the  ministry  were  taught  by  our 
Bible  School     first  missionaries  in  Mexico  City,    including 

Revs.  Keil  and  Ogden  ;  later  a  school  was 
opened  at  Tlalpam  by  Revs.  Greene  and  Wilson.  Rev. 
H.  C.  Thomson  began  a  similar  work  in  Monterey  and  Sal- 
tillo. In  1885  the  two  schools  were  united  and  removed  to 
S.  L.  Potosi  under  Revs.  Thomson  and  Brown  ;  but  in  1887 
taken  to  Tlalpam.  The  school  was  closed  from  1894  to 
1897,  when  it  was  re-opened  in  Coyoacan,  a  suburb  of 
Mexico  City,  under  the  care  of  Revs.  C.  C.  Millar  and 
H.  W.  Brown.  The  number  of  students  has  been  as  great 
as  thirty-five  and  many  of  our  most  efficient  workers  have 
been  trained  there. 

The  Monterey  or  Saltillo  School  grew  out  of 
Girls'  Schools  Miss  Rankin's   work   in    Monterey,  and  was 

more  formally  organized  by  Misses  Abbie  and 
Mary  Cochran  in  1879.  In  1890  it  was  removed  to  Saltillo, 
a  more  healthful  locality,  where  it  has  a  fine  building  and 
grounds.  Boarding  pupils  number  forty-five.  Misses 
Jennie  Wheeler  and  Edna  Johnson  are  in  charge. 
Mexico  Cit  '^^^  day-school  started  by  Mr.  Hutchinson 
School  ^'^^   made   a   boarding-school  in    1882,  under 

care  of  Misses  Snow  and  Latimer,  and  later 
Miss  Disosway.  In  1887  Miss  Bartlett  became  principal,  and 
in  1889  Miss  Ella  De  Baun  became  assistant.  In  1897  Mrs. 
H.  W.  Brown  was  in  charge  until  the  newly-appointed  mis- 
sionaries,   Misses    Browning   and    McDermid,    could    take 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    MEXICO,  I9I 

charge.  The  boarding  pupils  average  about  thirty-five. 
The  graduates  of  both  schools  are  employed  in  many  mis- 
sion day-schools  and  are  also  in  demand  to  teach  in  public 
schools  in  many  parts  of  the  Republic. 

From  1884  to  1886  Miss  A.  M.  Prevost  had  a 
Day-Schools      day-school   in   Zacatecas  and   Miss  M.  Wilma 

Jacobs  (Mrs.  Brown)  a  similar  school  in  Fres- 
nillo.  At  present  all  of  our  day-schools  (26  in  1896)  are 
taught  by  Mexican  teachers,  many  of  whom  are  graduates 
of  our  two  normal  schools.  Religious  instruction  is  given 
in  all  our  schools  and  they  are  an  important  element  in  the 
propaganda. 

The  Press.    ' 

In  1883  Rev.  J.  M.  Greene  secured  funds  and  bought 
our  present  Press  plant.  Rev.  P.  C.  Diaz  had  previously 
used  a  small  press  of  his  own  on  which  tracts,  a  hymn-book 
prepared  by  Mr.  Hutchinson,  and  for  six  months  a  Child's 
Paper,  were  printed.  Rev.  H.  C.  Thomson  also  published 
La  Aiiiorcha  at  Zacatecas  for  a  short  time.  In  January, 
1885  the  publication  of  El  Faro  ("The  Lighthouse") 
began,  together  with  S.S.  lesson  helps  and  tracts.  At 
present  illustrated  S.S.  cards  are  also  printed.  A  number  of 
books  have  also  been  prepared  and  published  under  the 
direction  mainly  of  Revs.  Greene,  Thomson  and  Brown. 
Miss  Bartlett  edited  the  last  edition  of  our  hymn-book, 
which  is  issued  b}-  the  American  Tract  Society,  whose  help 
has  always  been  a  great  benefit  to  the  work.  Our  Press  is 
an  agency  for  good,  the  power  of  which  cannot  be  over- 
estimated. The  printed  page  can  penetrate  where  the  mis- 
sionary often  cannot  enter  ;  it  has  done  pioneer  work  all 
over  Mexico.  From  1894-96  Rev.  J.  G.  Woods  was  busi- 
ness manager  of  the  Press.  It  is  at  present  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Revs.  Hubert  W.  Brown  and  Plutarco  Arellano. 

Mission  Organization. 

At  first  there  were  two  missions,  but  in  1884  the  north- 
ern and  southern  fields  were  united.  The  annual  meeting 
is  held  in  January.  There  is  an  Executive  Committee  which 
represents  the  mission  during  the  balance  of  the  year. 
There  are  also  Press,  School  and  Property  Committees. 
Rev.  C.  S.  Williams  is  the  permanent  Secretary  of  the  mis- 
sion. There  are  three  Presbyteries,  Zacatecas,  Mexico 
City  and  the  Gulf,  under  the  Synod  of  Pennsylvania.     The 


192  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

mission  and  Presbyteries  have  agreed  upon  a  definite  plan 
of  self-support,  which  provides  for  new  work  under  unpaid 
local  workers,  for  native  evangelists  supported  by  the  mis- 
sion, and  for  pastors  over  one  or  more  congregations  paid  in 
part  by  the  people,  at  a  fixed  ratio.  In  i8g6  over  six 
thousand  dollars  was  raised  for  self-support. 

There  is  abundant  reason  to  thank  God  and  continue  the 
work  which  He  has  so  signally  guided  and  blessed  since  its 
inception.  Our  labors  should  be  continued  until  a  self- 
supporting  native  church  is  ready  to  carry  on  every  depart- 
ment of  our  present  propaganda. 

STATIONS   1897. 

Mexico  City,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Hubert  W.  Brown.  Field,  City  and 
State  of  Mexico.  Director  of  the  Press  and  instructor  in  Bible 
school.  Girls'  Normal  School,  Miss  Clara  Browning  and  MissM.  Mc- 
Dermid. 

COVOACAN,  Rev.  and  Mrs  C.  C.  Millar.  Field,  Federal  District 
and  Yucatan.     Director  of  Bible  school. 

Jalapa,  V.  C,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Boyce.  Field,  Vera  Cruz  and 
Tabasco. 

CHII.PANC1NG0,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  George  John. son.     Field,  Guerrero. 

ZiTACUARO,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C  D.  Campbell  and  Rev.  and  Mrs. 
W.E.Vanderbilt. 

San  Luis  PoTOSI,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Williams.  Field,  S.  L. 
Potosi  and  Hidalgo. 

TlalTEnango,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  J.  Stewart. 

Saltillo,  Rev.  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Wallace.  Field  in  Coahuila  and 
Nuevo  Leon.  Girls'  Scliool,  Misses  Jennie  Wheeler  and  Edna  John- 
son. 

Zacatecas,  Rev   and  Mrs.  T.  F.Wallace,  Rev.  W.  H.  Semplc. 

Missionaries  in  Mexico,  i 873-1 897. 

*Died.     Figures  Indicate  T^rm  of  Service  in  Mexico. 
Allen,  Miss  E.  P., 
Bartlett,  Miss  A.  M., 
Beall.Rev.  M.  E., 
*Beall,  Mrs,, 
Beall,  Mrs.  (Miss  M.  E. 
•    Cochrane), 
Boyce,  Rev.  Isaac, 
Boyce,  Mrs., 
Brown,  Rev.  H.  W., 
Brown,  Mrs.  (MissM. 

W.  Jacobs), 
Browning,  Miss  C  B., 
Burdick,  Miss  D.  G., 
Campbell,  Rev.  C.  D., 
Campbell,  Mrs., 
Cochran,  Miss  A.  D., 


I872-I876 

Coopwcod,  Mrs.  E., 

1884-1885 

I 886- 1896 

De.  Baun,  Miss  Ella, 

1S89-1897 

1883-1892 

*DeJesi,  Dr.  L- M  , 

1S82-1884 

I 883- 1885 

Dejesi,  Mrs., 

1882-1884 

*Disoswav,  Miss  V.  A., 

1886-1888 

1879-1892 

Elliott,  Miss  Mabel, 

1887-1890 

1884 

Forbes,  Miss  M.  G., 

1877-1880 

1884 

Greene,  Rev.  Dr.  J.  M., 

, 1881-1892 

J  884 

Greene,  Mrs., 

18S1-1884 

Haymaker,  Rev.  E-  M. 

1 884-1887 

1883 

Haymaker,  Mrs., 

1884-1887 

1897 

Hennequin,   Miss   L. 

1883-1884 

H.  W., 

1877-1881 

1893 

Hutchinson,    Rev. 

1893 

M.  N., 

1S72-1880 

1879- 1882 

Hutchinson,  Mrs., 

1872-1880 

THE  MISSIONS  IN  MEXICO. 


193 


i^Irwin,  Rev.  R.  D., 
Irwin,  Mrs., 
Johnson,  Miss  Edna, 
Johnson,  Rev.  George, 
Keil,  Rev.  A.  P., 
Keil,  Mrs., 
Latimer,  Miss  L.  M  , 

*Leason,  Miss  M.  E., 
McFarren,  Miss  Kate, 
McKnijiht.MissM.  H., 
Millar,  Rev.  C.  C, 
Millar,  Mrs., 
Ogden,  Rev.  Rollo, 
Ogden,  Mrs., 
Phillips,  Rev.  M., 
Phillips,  Mrs., 
Pitkin,  Rev.  P.  H., 
Polhenuis,  Rev.  I.  H., 
Polhemus,  Mrs., 
Provost,  Miss  A.  M., 
Seniple,  Rev    W.  H., 
Shaw,  Rev.  Harvey, 


1887-1888 

Shaw,  Mrs., 

1882- 

1883 

IS87-I88S 

Snow,  MissF.  C.  (Mrs. 

1892 

H.  P.   Hamilton,  A. 

1896 

B.  S.,) 

1881- 

1886 

I 879- I 883 

Stewart,  Rev.  D.  J., 

1875 

I 879- I 883 

Stewart,  Mrs., 

1881 

1881-1883 

Thomson,    Rev.    Dr. 

1876- 1 877 

H.  C, 

1872- 

1892 

I 883- I 885 

*Thomson,  Mrs., 

1872- 

1892 

I 886- I 887 

Vanderbilt,Rev.  W.  E. 

1896 

1893 

Vanderbilt,  Mrs., 

1896 

1895 

Wallace.Rev.  Dr.T.F., 

1878 

1882-1883 

Wallace,  Mrs.  T.  F., 

1878 

1882-1883 

Wallace,  Rev.  Wm.. 

1889 

1872-1881 

Wallace.  Mrs.  Wm., 

1894 

1872-1881 

Ward,  Miss  Fannie, 

1885-1887 

1872-1873 

Wheeler,  Miss  Jennie, 

1889 

1 879- 1 88 1 

Williams,  Rev.  C.  Scott  1892 

1879-1881 

Williams,  Mrs., 

1893 

I 884- I 886 

Wilson,  Rev.  S.  T., 

1882- 

:884 

1896 

Woods,  Rev.  J.  G., 

1892- 

1896 

1882-1883 

Woods,  Mrs., 

1892- 

1896 

Books  of  Reference. 

About  Mexico,  Past  and  Present.     H.  M  Johnson.     $1  50. 
Appleton's  Guide  to  Mexico.     Latest  Edition.     $2.00. 
Aztec  Land.     M.  M.  Ballou.     Boston,  1S90.     $1.50. 
Conquest  of  Mexico.     W.  H.  Prescott. 
Face  to  Face  with  the  Mexicans.     F.  C.  Gooch. 
Life  in  Mexico.     Madame  Calderon.     Boston,  1843. 
Mexican  Guide.    Janvier.     Last  Edition.     $2.00 
Mexico.     A.  F.  I5andelier.     $5.00. 
Mexico  and  its  Religious.     R.  A.  Wilson.     $1.75. 
Mexico  in  Transition.    Wm.  Butler.    Hunt  &  Eaton,  1892.    $2.00. 
Mexico  and  United  States.     Abbott.     1S69. 
Mexico  To  day.     Thomas  N.  Brocklehurst.     London,  1883. 
Native  Religions  of  Mexico  and  Peru.    Dr.  R.  Reville.    Scribner. 
1884. 

Old  Mexico  and  Her  Lost  Provinces.     W.  H.  Bishop.     $2.00 
Our  Next-door  Neighbor,  Mexico.     G.  Haven.     $3.50. 
Popular  History  of  Mexican  People.     H.  H.  Bancroft. 
Recollections  of  Mexico.     Waddy  Thompson.     1846. 
Sketches  of  Mexico.    J   W.Butler.    Hunt  &  Eaton.     1894.  $100. 
Story  of  Mexico.     Susan  Hale,     fii.50 
Through  the  Heart  of  Mexico.     J.  N.  McCarty. 
Travels  in  Mexico.     F.  A.  Ober.     $3.75. 
"Twenty  Years  in  Mexico,     Melinda  Rankin,     fi.25. 

Note. — Mrs.  Calderon 's  book  gives  a  good  idea  of  Mexico  fifty 
years  since.  She  was  a  devout  Catholic  and  wife  of  the  first  Spanish 
Minister  to  Mexico.  Dr.  Wm.  Butler's  book  gives  a  good  idea  of  the 
struggle  for  religious  and  political  liberty  ;  and  Dr.  J.  W.  Butler's 
"  Sketches  "  brings  together  in  popular  form  a  variety  of  material 


Guatemala 


GUATEMALA. 


Guatemala  is  the  most  western  of  the  states  of 
The  Country     Central   America.      Its   area   is   40,777   square 

miles  :  about  five  times  that  of  New  Jersey. 
The  surface  of  the  country  is  very  broken.  The  greater 
part  is  elevated  five  thousand  feet  above  sea  level.  On  the 
Pacific  Coast  there  is  a  strip  of  flat  land  thirty  miles  wide. 
To  this  succeed  the  lofty  coast  mountains,  many  of  them 
active  or  extinct  volcanoes,  with  their  noble  peaks  Pacaya, 
Agua,  and  Fuega.  The  interior  is  a  succession  of  moun- 
tains and  valleys.  Rivers  and  streams  are  numerous  ;  those 
on  the  western  side  are  the  shorter,  owing  to  the  abrupt 
descent.  In  the  rainy  season  they  are  dashing  torrents,  and 
add  much  to  the  diversity  of  the  landscape.  The  principal 
metals  are  gold,  silver,  copper  and  iron;  and  these  are 
abundant. 

The  climate  is  fine.  Because  of  the  elevation  of  the 
country,  tropical  diseases  are  almost  unknown.  Even  the 
best  insurance  companies  do  not  charge  any  extra  premiums 
for  residence  there.  The  coast,  though  not  so  salubrious  as 
the  interior,  is  far  less  unhealthy  than  is  commonly  sup- 
posed. The  temperature  in  the  capital  is  almost  the  same 
throughout  the  year.  The  beginning  of  January  is  like  a 
warm  June  in  Central  New  York.  There  is  a  rainy  season 
from  May  to  October.  The  fertility  of  the  soil  is  such  that  in 
many  localities  three  crops  of  corn  are  raised  annually,  and 
good  crops  of  grass  are  gathered  every  few  weeks.  Farm- 
ing is  never  suspended.  Almost  anything  in  the  vegetable 
kingdom  will  thrive.  The  .staple  is  coffee,  though  many 
capitalists  are  turning  their  attention  to  the  raising  of  rub- 
ber. For  consumption  in  the  country,  sugar,  good  rice,  fair 
cotton,  wool,  and  a  mild  kind  of  tobacco  are  produced. 

The  population  is  made  up  of  whites  (180, 
The  People        000),  mostly  descended  from  the  early  Spanish 

settlers;  mestizoes  (300,000),  the  children  of 
whites  and  Indians;  negroes,  pure  and  mixed  (8,000);  and 
pure-blooded  Indians  (720,000);  total,  1,208,000.  The 
Indians,  as  a  rule,  live  by  themselves,  and  are  much  superior 
to  those  of  our  country.     The  civil  authorities  immediately 


1 98  HISTORICAI.   SKETCH   OF 

governing  them  are  commonl}'  chosen  from  their  own  race. 

The  coast  of  this  region  was  discovered  by 
History  Columbus  in  1502  ;   the  country  was  made  a 

Spanish  dependency  in  1524,  and  was  erected 
into  a  captain-generalcy  in  1527  by  Charles  V.  In  1821 
Guatemala  threw  off  the  yoke  of  Spain,  and  in  1823  became 
a  part  of  the  Central  American  Federal  Republic.  In  1839 
the  territory  of  the  latter  was  diminished  by  the  secession  of 
Honduras,  and  in  1851  Guatemala  separated  from  the  con- 
federation, as  an  independent  republic.  By  proclamation  of 
President  Barrios,  March  15th,  1873,  religious  liberty  was 
guaranteed  to  all,  and  during  his  administration  trade  and 
general  prosperity  greatly  increased.  In  1884  war  broke 
out  between  Guatemala  and  San  Salvador,  in  consequence  of 
a  decree  from  President  Barrios  for  the  union  of  all  the  Cen- 
tral American  States.  At  the  outset  of  the  conflict  the 
President  was  killed.  He  was  succeeded  by  President  Bar- 
illos,  who  has  pursued  the  same  enlightened  policy  as  his 
predecessor.  In  1890  war  was  again  declared  with  San 
Salvador,  but  after  a  few  months  of  active  hostilities,  peace 
was  proclaimed. 

Condition  of      ^^  ^^^  cities  they  enjoy  most  of  the  blessings 
the  People         °^  civilization.     Into   the   capital   water    has 

been  introduced.  The  streets  are  wide  and 
paved  with  stone,  and  lighted  with  gasoline  lamps.  Good 
order  is  maintained  by  a  fine  body  of  police.  The  cleanli- 
ness of  the  city,  the  peaceable  character  of  the  people,  the 
excellence  of  the  public  buildings,  which  are  broad  and 
low,  that  they  may  withstand  earthquakes,  are  all  sources  of 
amazement  to  the  foreigner. 

Educatioji,  though  improving,  is  most  imperfect.  In  the 
capital  only  one-fifth  of  the  people  can  read.  In  the  coun- 
try at  large  the  proportion  is  as  low  as  one-tenth. 

Nor  can  a  more  favorable  report  be  made  as  to  morals. 
Drunkenness  is  fearfully  prevalent  among  the  lower  classes, 
especially  among  the  Indians.  The  social  corruption  is  as- 
tounding. The  same  picture  is  presented  that  we  have  in 
the  first  chapter  of  Romans. 

Roman  Catholicism  is  and  has  been  the  one 
Religion  religion.     In  1883  it  was  estimated  that  in  the 

capital  there  were  not  fifteen  actual  communi- 
cants of  Protestant  Churches.  As  in  Mexico,  however,  so 
here,  Romanism  has  sunk  even  lower  than  the  people  whom 
it  has  degraded.     The  result  is  that  they  have  lost  confi- 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    GUATEMALA,  1 99 

dence  in  their  Church.  Nothing  is  done  to  supply  the 
spiritual  void,  and  it  is  assumed  that  a  purely  secular  educa- 
tion is  the  only  need  of  the  country.  Hence,  the  educated 
classes  are  drifting  into  all  forms  of  infidelity,  while  the 
condition  of  the  people  at  large,  says  Mr.  Hill,  "  is  that  of 
gross  ignorance  of  what  Christianity  really  is."  In  the 
words  of  an  intelligent  Romanist  from  liurope,  "  they  are 
not  Catholics,  but  heathen." 

.  Mission  work  in  Guatemala  has  thus  far  been 

Wo^k"'^  carried    on    exclusively    by    the     Presbyterian 

Board.  Early  in  1882  their  attention  was  for 
the  second  time  called  to  this  field.  Assurances  were  given 
of  the  sympathy  of  President  Barrios  with  Protestant  Mis- 
sions. The  Jesuits  had  been  expelled,  and  religious  liberty 
prevailed  in  the  republic.  These  facts,  and  the  considera- 
tion that  in  the  whole  country  there  was  not  one  Protestant 
service,  while  in  the  capital  were  many  Europeans  and 
Americans  who  might  be  expected  soon  to  make  an  English 
service  self-sustaining,  led  to  the  occupation  of  the  field  by 
the  Board.  The  Rev.  John  C.  Hill  and  Mrs.  Hill  were  the 
first  missionaries  appointed.  They  reached  Guatemala 
towards  the  end  of  1882. 

The  plan  adopted  was  to  gather  an  English-speaking 
congregation  and  organize  a  Protestant  Church.  Services 
were  held  for  a  time  in  private  residences,  with  an  increase 
of  attendance  from  week  to  week.  A  house  near  the  centre 
of  the  city  was  rented  from  the  President  at  a  nominal  sum, 
and  a  committee  of  gentlemen  solicited  contributions  towards 
furnishing  it.  By  April,  1883,  the  new  missionaries  were 
fully  established,  and  were  encouraged  by  their  cordial  recep- 
tion. A  Sunday-school  was  organized,  and  was  attended 
by  the  children  of  the  President  and  by  others  in  high  posi- 
tions.    By  the  close  of  the  year  the  new  chapel  was  filled. 

Work  among  tiie  Spanish  was  taken  up  by  Mr.  Hill  in 
connection  with  Sefior  Don  Louis  Canal,  a  licentiate  preacher 
from  Mexico.  The  ministrations  of  the  latter  attracted  large 
numbers  for  a  time. 

Both  the  English  and  the  Spanish  services  were  main- 
tained with  good  results  until  Mr.  Hill's  resignation  in  1886. 
His  place  was  filled  the  next  year  by  the  Rev.  E.  M.  Hay- 
maker, from  the  Mexican  Mission,  who  had  the  advantage 
of  familiarity  with  Spanish.  A  chapel  was  built,  and  dedi- 
cated in  1 89 1,  with  many  marks  of  approval  from  the 
President  and  the  authorities.     Two  churches  were  organized 


200  HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF 

in  1892,  one  of  Spanish-speaking  and  the  other  of  EngHsh- 
speaking  people.  In  1894  the  KngHsh  church  became 
independent.  The  Spanish  church  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Haymaker  is  well  attended,  and  notwithstanding  the  poverty 
of  the  people  they  are  striving  toward  self-support.  Services 
are  held  in  different  quarters  of  the  city. 

A  girls'   school   was  begun   in    1884,  by   Miss 
Schools  Hammond  and   Mi.ss   Ottaway.     It   was  pros- 

perous for  several  years,  but  the  building  which 
it  occupied  was  sold,  and  as  no  other  could  be  secured  at 
any  reasonable  expense,  the  school  was  suspended  in  1891. 
A  school  for  boys,  began  in  1891,  has  attained  a  fair 
degree  of  success.  A  new  building  was  erected  in  1895. 
-,  ..    .       Tours  through  the  country  have  been  made 

WoTk^  ^^  ^^     ^y   ^^-   Haymaker  and   Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates, 
assisted  by  the  Guatemalan  students,  wdtli  great 
promise  of  good  results.     The  work  at  the  out-stations  has 
grown  largely. 

Regular  services  are  held  at  Quezaltenango,  the  second 
city  of  the  republic,  where  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gates  have  spent 
much  time.  It  has  a  population  of  21,000  and  is  the  place 
where  most  of  the  coffee  plantation  owners  on  the  west  side 
reside.  It  is  an  important  centre  for  mission  work,  being 
within  easy  reach  of  about  twenty  towns  and  villages  with 
an  aggregate  population  of  over  200,000,  mostly  Indians. 
In  1896  a  lot  was  purchased  and  a  neat  church  and  parsonage 
built,  largely  with  funds  raised  on  the  field.  Regular  ser- 
vices are  now  maintained  with  an  attendance  of  about  fifty, 
and  the  question  of  self-support  is  well  to  the  front. 

At  San  Augustin,  regular  work  was  begun  in  1895, 
under  the  care  of  a  young  native  evangelist,  Anastacio 
Samayoa,  a  man  of  fervent  consecration  and  lovely  character. 
His  labors  w^ere  greatly  blessed  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  more 
than  a  hundred  persons  have  believed  his  message.  A  church 
was  organized  early  in  1896  with  twenty-five  members  and 
many  more  are  under  instruction.  Because  of  a  railroad  in 
process  of  construction,  San  Augustin  will  be  the  centre  of 
a  large  number  of  towns  and  villages  easily  accessible  and 
containing  a  population  of  from  50,000  to  60,000.  Services 
are  already  being  held  in  the  neighboring  towns. 
Soeci  1  Ignorance. — If  the  people  had  the  Bible,  very 

Hindmnces        ^^^  ^^  them  could  read  it.     Immorality. — They 
are  so   degraded  as  to  be  incapable  of  appre- 
ciating even  the  moral  superiority  of  Protestant  Christianity. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    GUATEMALA.  20I 

SupirstitioH . — Image  worship  is  almost  universal .  Hide- 
ously carved  and  painted  images  abound.  The  dominion  of 
the  priests  is  general,  and  their  efforts  against  our  educa- 
tional work  in  particular,  are  unceasing.  The  Indian 
aborigines,  too,  who  have  never  3'ielded  to  the  power  of 
Rome,  still  practice  their  old  rites  and  incantations. 

lufidcUty. — The  more  intelligent,  disgusted  with  the  dis- 
soluteness of  the  priests,  have  come  to  believe  in  nothing. 
_  These  are   found  :     (  i  )    In   the   Spirit  of  Pro- 

.      ^  i!;rcs$    now   universal   in    Guatemala.     It    is  a 

remarkable  circumstance  that  the  first  mission 
to  this  country  should  have  been  undertaken  just  when  it 
was.  Every  interest  has  recently  sprung  into  new  life.  A 
new  religion  is,  therefore,  in  keeping  with  the  times  and 
ought  to  receive  an  impetus  from  them. 

(2)  The  Press. — This  is  fearless  in  its  denunciation  and 
exposure  of  Romanism,  and  thus  clears  the  ground  for  evan- 
gelical truth. 

(3 )  The  Attitjaic  of  the  Government. — Absolute  religious 
liberty  is  enjoyed.  President  Barrios,  though  not  a  Chris- 
tian, gave  his  influence  in  favor  of  Protestant  Missions. 
His  successor  has  done  the  same.  Some  warm  Romanists, 
moreover,  are  like-minded,  feeling  that  our  missions  will 
tend  to  purify  their  Church.  In  general  the  attitude  of  the 
people  is  favorable  to  everything  from  the  United  States. 

i\)  In  the  present  hopeful  condition  of  the  work,  which 
seems  to  indicate  that  the  years  of  patient  labor  are  to  be 
blessed  with  more  abundant  results. 

But  in  view  of  what  remains  to  be  done,  only  a  begin- 
ning has  been  made.  In  the  capital,  with  its  sixty  thousand 
souls,  are  but  five  Christian  missionaries  and  teachers. 
Within  a  radius  of  seventy-five  miles  are  fifteen  towns, 
ranging  in  population  from  five  thousand  to  twenty-five 
thousand,  and  as  accessible  to  the  truth  as  is  Philadelphia, 
and  yet  the  pure  gospel  is  seldom  even  named  in  one  of 
them.  In  a  country  like  ours,  in  which  there  is  already  a 
church  for  every  four  hundred  people,  are  there  not  some 
who  can  heed,  as  well  as  hear  the  call,  "Come  over  into 
Guatemala  and  help  us  ? ' ' 

STATION. 

Orgauized  in    1882;  station,    Guatemala  City,  about  sixty  miles 
from  the  seaport  of  San  Jos^  ;  laborers — Rev.  E.  M.  Haymaker  and 
Mrs.    Haymaker,    Rev.  W.    F.    Gates   and    Mrs.    Gates;  three   native 
helpers 
(14) 


202  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF    MISSIONS    IN    GUATEMALA. 

Missionaries  in  Guatemala,  188.2-1891. 

Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field 

Gates,  Rev.  W.  F.,        1893  Hill,  Mrs.  John  C,       1882-1886 

Gates,  Mrs.,  1893  Iddings,  Rev.  D.  Y.,     1889-1893 

Hammond, Miss  M.  L.  18S4-1890  Iddings,  Mrs.,  1889-1893 

Haymaker,  Rev.  E.  M.  1887  Ottaway ,  Miss  Anna  E.  1884-1889 

Haymaker,  Mrs.,  1887  Stimers,  Misslmogene  1888-1891 

Hill,  Rev.  John  C,        1882-1886 

Books  of  Reference. 

Central  America.     H.H.Bancroft.     3  V.     I4. 50  each. 
Guatemala.     W.  T.  Brigham.     ^5.00. 
In  and  Out  of  Central  America.     Frank  Vincent.     $2.00. 
Incidents  ofTravel  in  Central  America.  J  L.Stephens     2v.    $6.00. 
States  of  Central  America.     E.  G.  Squier.     $4.00. 


North  American  Indians 


NORTH  AMERICAN  INDIANS. 

Before  the  Formation  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 

Tlie  Pre.sbyterfan  Church  of  the  United  States  verj^  early 
in  its  history  recognized  the  duty  of  offering  the  gospel  to 
the  Indians  of  our  country.  The  first  formal  mission  insti- 
tuted l)y  it  (according  to  Dr.  Ashbel  Green),  was  in  the 
appointment  of  Rev.  Azariah  Horton  to  labor  as  a  mission- 
ary among  the  Indians  of  Long  Island.  He  was  selected  by 
a  commission  appointed  by  the  "Society  in  Scotland  for 
propagating  Christian  knowledge,"  and  entered  upon  his 
work  in  1 741 .  "  He  was  well  received  b}'  most  and  cordially 
welcomed  by  some  of  them."  In  a  short  time  Mr.  Horton 
baptized  thirty-five  adults  and  forty-four  children.  Some  of 
them,  however,  gave  way  to  temptation,  and  relapsed  into 
their  darling  vice  of  drunkenness. 

Rev.  David  Brainerd  was  also  appointed  by  the  same 
commission,  and  labored  one  year — 1743 — in  Connecticut, 
afterwards  in  New  Jersey  at  several  different  points,  also 
visiting  the  Indians  on  the  Susquehanna,  and  settling  at  last 
in  Cranbury.  His  missionary  service  was  ended  by  his 
death  in  1747.  He  was  succeeded  by  his  brother,  Rev.  John 
Brainerd. 

In  1 75 1  the  Synod  of  New  York  "enjoined  all  its  mem- 
bers to  appoint  a  collection  in  their  several  congregations 
once  a  year ;  to  be  applied  ' '  to  the  support  of  the  mission- 
aries employed.  Several  rather  desultory  efforts  in  the  way 
of  missionary  tours  by  ministers  appointed  to  the  work, 
were  made  during  the  next  ten  years  among  the  Delawares 
in  Ohio,  then  the  frontier.  For  the  next  twenty  years  we 
have  no  records  of  missionary  labors.  The  Revolutionary 
War,  and  the  excited  state  of  the  Indians,  everywhere  pre- 
vented such  efforts. 

In  1 80 1  and  1802  the  Synod  of  Virginia  sent  three  mis- 
sionaries to  spend  two  or  three  months  each  among  the 
"  Shawanese  and  other  tribes  about  Detroit  and  Sandusky," 
and  also  ' '  a  young  man  of  Christian  character  to  instruct 


206  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

them  in  agriculture  and  to  make  some  instruments  of  hus- 
bandry for  them. ' '  In  the  division  of  the  Synod  of  Virginia 
this  mission  fell  to  the  care  of  the  Synod  of  Pittsburgh, 
which  organized  itself  as  a  Missionary  Society,  by  which 
the  mission  was  continued  and  enlarged.  A  missionary 
was  employed  in  1806  for  an  entire  year,  and  measures  were 
taken  to  render  the  mission  permanent.  The  General 
Assembly  gave  $200  that  year  towards  the  support  of  the 
mission,  which  sum  was  increased  to  $400  in  1808,  and 
this  was  continued  for  several  years. 

The  dispersion  of  these  Indians  caused  the  removal  of 
this  mission  to  Mauniee  in  1822,  in  1825  the  Synod  trans- 
ferred it  to  the  United  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  and  the 
following  year  it  passed  under  the  care  of  the  American 
Board . 

In  1803  the  Synod  of  the  Carolinas  sent  a  missionary 
among  the  Catawba  Indians,  and  he  established  a  successful 
school.  i\bout  the  same  time  Rev.  Gideon  Blackburn, 
under  the  General  Assembly's  Committee  of  Missions  began 
a  school  among  the  Cherokee  Indians  in  Tennessee,  with 
flattering  prospects.  He  founded  a  second  school  in  1806. 
"In  five  years,  in  his  schools,  four  or  five  hundred  youths 
were  taught  to  read  the  English  Bible,  and  several  persons 
were  received  as  hopeful  Christians."  Mr.  Blackburn 
retired  from  the  mission  in  18 10,  and  the  American  Board 
soon  after  occupied  the  field 

A  large  portion  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  carried  on 
its  mission  work  from  18 12  to  1838  through  the  American 
Board,  and  we  have  no  records  of  other  special  missions 
among  the  Indians,  outside  of  the  operations  of  that  Board, 
till  the  formation  of  the  Western  Foreign  Missionary  Society 
in  1 83 1. 

This  Society  was  the  precursor  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board,  and  during  its  brief  existence  of  six  years.  Rev. 
Joseph  Kerr  and  wife,  with  others,  established  under  its 
direction  a  mission  among  the  Weas  in  the  Indian  Territory, 
twenty  miles  west  of  the  Missouri  line,  on  the  Kansas  River. 
In  1837  "a  church  of  ten  native  members  had  been  formed 
in  the  wilderness."  As,  however,  "the  number  of  the 
Weas  was  but  some  two  or  three  hundred,  and  their  kinsmen 
were  hardly  more  numerous,  and  a  missionary  station  of  the 
Methodist  Church  was  not  far  distant, "  it  appeared  inex- 
pedient to  maintain  the  mission,  and  the  laborers  who  had 
health  to  remain  were  transferred  to  the  Iowa  tribe.     Some 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  207 

of  the  noblest  examples  of  self-denying  and  faithful  mis- 
sionary labor  and  some  of  the  brightest  displays  of  the  power 
of  divine  grace  were  witnessed  in  the  brief  history  of  work 
among  the  people  of  this  little  tribe. 

Missions  of  tiik  Board  East  of  Mississippi  Rivf;r. 

Th    Ch"  This  mission  was  inaugurated  in  1838  among 

And  Ottawa  ^^^^  remnants  of  two  tribes,  about  6,500  in 
Mission  number  and  speaking  the  same  language.    They 

were  then  living  on  a  reservation  in  the  north 
of  Michigan,  occupying  the  country  situated  between  Grand 
River,  in  Michigan,  and  Chocolate  River,  near  the  foot  of 
Lake  Superior.  They  were  under  treaty  stipulation  to 
remove  to  the  Indian  Territory,  but  had  the  privilege  of 
remaining  on  the  reservation  till  1841.  A  few  had  made 
some  advance  in  agriculture,  and  were  living  in  log  houses  ; 
but  the  majority  were  warlike,  indolent  and  impoverished, 
living  in  mat  or  bark  lodges,  which  they  carried  with  them 
in  their  migrations 

In  1838  Rev.  Peter  Dougherty  was  commissioned  to 
visit  these  Indians  and  to  collect  information  with  a  view  to 
missionary  efforts  among  them.  The  result  was  the  selec- 
tion of  a  station  on  Grand  Traverse  Bay.  He  was  cordially 
welcomed  by  many  of  the  Indians,  and  opened  a  school  in 
1839.  The  next  year  a  comfortable  log  dwelling-house  and 
a  school-house  were  erected,  and  fifty  scholars  were  soon 
enrolled.  A  great  interest  was  manifested  by  the  tribes  in 
the  new  movement,  one  family  after  another  being  induced 
to  build  small  log  dwellings  near  the  missionary.  The 
fruits  of  faithful  preaching  and  teaching  began  to  appear  in 
1842.  when  there  were  at  least  twenty  six  inquirers  after  the 
way  of  life,  and  among  them  a  chief,  Ahgosa,  who  said  that 
' '  while  the  Lord  gave  him  life  it  was  his  determination  to 
serve  Him."  The  arrival  of  a  boat  from  Mackinac  with 
liquor  to  sell  roused  the  people  on  the  temperance  question, 
and  both  of  the  chiefs  and  forty-seven  others  signed  the  total 
abstinence  pledge.  The  work  was  greatly  aided  by  a  donation 
from  the  Upper  Canadian  Bible  Society  of  a  number  of 
copies  of  the  book  of  Genesis  and  of  the  Gospel  of  John, 
in  Chippewa,  and  by  the  obtaining  of  some  hymn-books  in 
the  native  language.  In  1843  a  church  was  organized,  and 
the  next  year  a  log  church-building  was  erected,  the  Indians 
cheerfully  helping  to  do  the  work,  while  the  necessary  ma- 


2o8  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

terials,  of  the  value  of  $270,  were  furnished  by  the  Board. 
The  same  year  a  spelling-book  was  published  in  Chippewa. 
For  several  years  the  mission  made  steady  advance  in  school 
and  church  and  in  the  outward  result  of  Christian  teaching, 
the  civilization  of  the  Indians.  Mr.  Dougherty's  report  in 
1847  gives  the  following  : 

Six  years  ago  the  site  occupied  by  the  village  was  a  dense  thicket. 
The  village  now  extends  nearly  a  mile  in  length,  containing  some 
twenty  log  houses  and  good  log  stables  belonging  to  the  Indians. 
During  that  period  they  have  cleared  and  cultivated  some  two  hund- 
red acres  of  new  gardens,  besides  the  additions  made  to  the  old  ones. 
They  raise  for  sale  several  hundred  bushels  of  corn  and  potatoes. 
They  are  improving  in  abstinence  from  intoxication." 

The  Indians  also  began  to  desire  to  own  their  own  lands. 
They  had  sold  their  lands  to  the  United  States  in  1835,  and 
were  now  remaining  on  the  reservations  at  the  pleasure  of 
the  government.  In  1852,  under  the  new  constitution  of 
the  State  of  Michigan,  they  were  permitted  to  become 
citizens,  and  were  encouraged  to  remain  and  to  purchase 
lands  ;  but  as  the  lands  where  the  mission  was  established 
were  not  offered  for  sale  they  had  to  purchase  elsewhere. 
This  caused  a  partial  dispersion  of  the  little  Christian  com- 
munit3^  and  several  changes.  The  old  station  was  removed 
to  the  west  side  of  Grand  Traverse  Bay,  and  a  second  one 
was  established  at  Little  Traverse,  on  Little  Traverse  Bay, 
about  forty  miles  to  the  north.  In  1853  a  school  was 
opened  at  a  third  station.  Middle  Village,  twenty  miles 
further  north.  A  boarding-school  was  opened  at  Grand 
Traverse  in  1853,  which  was  conducted  on  the  manual- 
labor  plan. 

In  1846  Rev.  H.  W.  Guthrie  was  appointed  to -the  Little 
Traverse  station,  and  the  next  year  he  organized  a  church 
there  with  eighteen  members. 

During  the  following  decade  the  mission  labored  under 
discouragements  and  difficulties  which  finally  resulted  in  its 
suspension.  The  circumstances  which  caused  this  state  of 
things  were  ' '  the  indifference  of  many  of  the  people  to  the 
education  of  their  children  ;  the  distance  of  some  families 
from  the  station,  which  made  it  impracticable  to  keep  up 
the  day-school  at  Grand  Traverse;  the  influx  of  whites, 
many  of  whom  were  not  reputable ;  the  opposition  of 
Romanists,  and  the  unsettled  feeling  on  the  part  of  many  of 
the  tribe  as  to  their  remaining  in  the  country."  In  187 1 
the  mission  was  discontinued.  Its  churches,  which  had 
received  150  members,  remained  under  the  care  of  the  Pres- 


AMONO    TIIK    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  209 

bytery  for  a  time  ;   i)ut  few  of  the  Indians  now  live  in   that 
region. 

_.     „  This  name  is  given  to  the  mission  conducted 

Mission  among  the  remnants  of  the  "  Six    Nations," 

— about  3046  in  number — who  are  settled  on 
seven  reservations  in  Western  New  York,  embracing  in  all 
about  87,677  acres  of  land. 

Missionary  labors  were  commenced  among  these  Indians 
in  iSii.bytiie  New  York  Missionary  Society;  continued 
by  the  United  F.  M.  Society,  from  1822  ;  in  1826  transferred 
to  the  American  Board,  and  by  them  to  our  Board,  in  1870. 
The  mission  under  the  American  Board  had  been  very  suc- 
cessful ;  the  tribe  had  increased  one-third  in  number  ;  it  had 
made  great  advance  in  civilized  life,  and  there  was  a  "record 
of  six  or  seven  hundred  hopeful  conversions." 

At  the  time  of  the  transfer,  in  1870,  there  were  three 
mission  stations — two  on  the  Cattaraugns  Reservation,  which 
lies  between  Buffalo  and  Dunkirk,  and  one  on  the  Allegheny 
Reservation,  in  Cattaraugus  Count}'.  The  missionaries  in 
charge  of  these  stations  were  :  at  Upper  Cattaraugus,  Rev. 
Asher  Wright  and  wife,  with  one  assistant ;  at  Lower  Cat- 
taraugus, Rev.  George  Ford  and  wife;  at  Allegheny,  Rev. 
William  Hall  and  wnfe,  with  two  native  assistants.  There" 
were  two  churches  :  one  on  the  Cattaraugus  Reservation, 
numbering  129,  that  at  Allegheny,  87.  There  were  various 
Sabbath-schools  in  successful  operation,  and  an  orphan 
asylum,  established  mainly  by  the  labors  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wright,  though  supported  by  the  State,  was  in  a  prosperous 
condition  Afterwards  the  missionaries  extended  their 
labors  to  the  Tonawanda  and  Tuscarora  Reservations,  where 
small  churches  were  formed. 

Rev.  Asher  Wright  labored  among  the  Senecas  forty- 
three  years.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  only  white  man 
who  ever  acquired  a  satisfactory  knowledge  of  the  Seneca 
language.  He  constructed  for  them  a  7crittcn  language,  and 
translated  the  four  Gospels  He  died  April  13,  1875,  in  his 
7 2d  year.  Mrs.  Wright,  who  was  highly  esteemed  by  the 
Indians,  carried  on  the  work  which  her  husband  had  begun 
until  her  death  in  1886. 

Rev.  William  Hall  began  his  work  in  1834,  and  for 
nearly  sixty  years  labored  earnestly  for  the  Indians  of  the 
Allegheny  Reservation.  His  devoted  wife,  after  forty-seven 
years  of  consecrated  service,  entered  into  rest  in  1882. 

In  1 88 1    Rev.  Morton    F.  Trippe  and   Mrs.  Trippe  took 


2IO  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

charge  of  the  Allegheny  and  Tuscarora  Reservations,  with 
oversight  of  the  church  at  Tonawanda.  These  years  of 
faithful  labor  have  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  strong 
Christian  community,  and  in  spite  of  the  opposition  of  the 
pagan  party  and  the  influence  of  unprincipled  white  men, 
constant  progress  is  manifest. 

In  1892,  the  Department  of  the  Interior  consented  to 
admit  the  youths  of  these  tribes  to  the  Government  Schools 
at  Carlisle  and  Hampton.  The  primary  school  work  of  the 
Reservations  is  carried  on  under  the  State  Superintendent 
of  Indian  Schools. 

In  1893  this  mission  was  transferred  to  the   care  of  the 
Board    of    Home    Missions.     In     1897    they    reported   six 
churches,  with  nearl}'  five  hundred  members. 
Th    L  k-  ^^^^   Chippewas    in    northern    Wisconsin   imd 

Superfor^ChiD-  ^^^"i^esota  occupied  fourteen  Reservations,  cov- 
pewaMission'  ^^^"g  ^n  area  of  4,950,979  acres,  and  numbeied 
about  14.283  souls.  The  mission,  known  as 
the  Ojibwa,  for  some  years  embraced  several  stations.  In 
1852,  the  work  was  centralized  at  Odanah,  on  the  Bad  River 
Reserve.  A  church  was  gathered,  and  a  boarding-school 
was  conducted  for  several  years.  The  mission  was  trans- 
■ferred  to  the  Presbyterian  Board  in  1870.  There  were  then 
but  few  church  members  to  be  found  and  no  schools  in 
operation.  The  Board  obtained  from  the  government  $2350 
annually  for  three  years,  towards  the  expense  of  a  boarding- 
school;  appropriated  an  additional  amount,  and  secured  the 
services  of  a  superintendent  and  two  teachers.  The  re-open- 
ing of  the  school  was  gladly  welcomed,  and  before  the  year 
closed  nineteen  scholars  were  enrolled,  but  it  did  not  prosper 
as  was  hoped,  because  the  Indians  were  scattered  on  so  many 
different  Reservations 

In  1873  Rev.  Isaac  Baird  and  wife  joined  the  mission, 
and  in  1878  an  out-station  at  Ashland,  on  the  Lac  Court 
d'Oreilles  Reserve,  was  occupied  and  a  day-school  opened  in 
charge  of  a  native  assistant  who  had  been  educated  at 
Odanah  In  1884  a  school  was  opened  at  Round  L,ake,  on 
the  same  Reservation,  and  placed  in  charge  of  Miss  Susie 
Dougherty,  who  had  been  teaching  at  Odanah  since  1873, 
and  Miss  Cornelia  Dougherty  was  associated  with  her  in 
1884. 

These  ladies  have  been  faithful  at  their  posts  ;  carrying 
on  the  little  school  in  which  for  years  they  bestowed  their 
self-denying  labor.     Nowhere  has  there  been  a  more  notable 


AMONG    THK    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  211 

instance    of    faithful,     devoted,     itncomphiining    labor    for 
Christ. 

Rev.  S.  G.  Wright  also  became  connected  with  the  mis- 
sion in  1884.  He  traveled  over  the  triangle  enclosed  by  the 
three  stations,  in  all  weathers  and  often  with  great  exposure 
and  hardship,  dividing  his  labors  as  preacher  and  pastor 
among  the  three,  each  small  and  invested  with  many  dis- 
couragements. The  influence  of  lumbermen  and  of  strong 
drink  on  the  one  hand,  and  Roman  Catholic  intrigue  and 
opposition  on  the  other,  have  been  the  chief  of  the^e  dis- 
couragements. In  the  year  1890  the  Chippewa  Missions 
were  transferred  to  the  Board  of  Home  Missions. 

Among  thk  Indians  ok  the  Northwest. 

The  Iowa  and  Sac  Mission  was  commenced  in 
S^r  ^^35'    ^y    ^^^    Western     Foreign     Missionary 

Society.  The  lowas  and  Sacs  speak  the  same 
language,  and  were  apparently  so  consolidated  by  intermar- 
riage and  other  ties  of  interest  as  to  be  one  nation.  They 
occupy  228,418  acres  in  Indian  Territory.  There  are  now 
only  393  as  compared  with  about  2000  then  living  together 
on  their  Reservation. 

The  first  missionaries  were  Messrs.  Aurey  Ballard  and 
E.  M.  Shepherd  and  their  wives^  Several  schools  were 
established,  and  frequent  visits  paid  from  lodge  to  lodge  for 
purposes  of  instruction  and  religious  worship. 

On  the  formation  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  in  1837,  Rev. 
Messrs.  William  Hamilton  and  S.  M.  Irvin  and  their  wives 
were  sent  to  the  station.  For  several  years  the  missionaries 
had  to  prosecute  their  work  not  only  amid  great  discourage- 
ments, but  at  times  in  serious  peril  to  life,  owing  to  the 
excitement  and  quarrels  of  the  Indians  under  the  influence 
of  liquor.  Yet  when  sober  they  regarded  the  missionaries 
as  their  best  friends,  and  placed  the  greatest  confidence  in 
them.  Gradually  persistent  efforts  began  to  break  up  the 
Indian  prejudices  and  produce  their  legitimate  fruit.  In 
1845  a  boarding-school  was  opened  at  the  station  near  High- 
land. A  majority  of  the  lowas  were  now  desirous  that  the 
missionary  work  should  be  sustained,  and  especiallv  that  a 
manual-labor  boarding-school  should  be  established.  They 
appropriated  $2,000  of  their  annuities  for  this  purpose,  and 
at  a  meeting  of  their  council  entered  on  their  minutes  : 
"  Many  of  us  feel  inclined  to  change  our  way  of  living,  and 
are  anxious  to  see  our  children  raised  up  to  business  and 


212  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

habits  of  virtue."  A  building  large  enough  to  accommo- 
date one  hundred  scholars,  and  costing  between  $6000  and 
$7000,  was  erected,  in  which,  the  next  year,  about  fifty 
children  were  assembled.  Upon  the  opening  of  the  school, 
however,  the  Sacs,  who  had  apparently  entered  heartily  into 
the  scheme,  and  had  contributed  a  considerable  part  of  the 
means  for  the  building,  declined  to  send  a  single  scholar, 
partly  from  unwillingness  to  give  up  their  own  customs,  and 
partly  from  dislike  to  the  lowas.  This  unwillingness  was 
never  overcome,  and  consequently  little  of  the  blessed  influ- 
ence of  the  school  was  felt  among  them.  The  boarding- 
school  continued  throughout  the  existence  of  the  mission  a 
very  valuable  auxiliary  to  the  work  ;  but  in  i860,  the  support 
from  the  Indian  annuities  was  withdrawn,  and  it  was  made 
a  general  school  for  the  education  of  Indian  orphan  children 
of  all  tribes.  It  was  finally  closed  in  1866,  the  reasons  being 
the  distance  from  the  Indians — some  of  the  children  being 
brought  six  hundred  miles — and  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
orphan  children  without  the  aid  of  the  government,  which 
was  seldom  given.  During  its  existence  of  twenty-five 
years,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  from  five  to  six  hundred  Indian 
children  received  instruction  in  it. 

In  1843  a  printing  press  was  purchased.  The  Iowa  lan- 
guage was  reduced  to  writing,  a  grammar,  portions  of  the 
Scriptures,  hymn,  school,  and  religious  books  were  pub- 
lished. As  early  as  1849,  30,000  pages  were  printed. 
Further  tnan  this,  however,  the  missionaries  did  not  deem  it 
best  to  go,  as  it  was  thought  more  important  to  teach  the 
English  language,  especially  to  the  young. 

Along  with  these  missionary  labors,  the  gospel  was  con- 
stantly preached  and  a  church  was  organized,  which  in  1859 
had  forty-nine  members. 

In  i860  the  Indians  settled  down  on  their  Reservation,  at 
a  considerable  distance  from  the  mission  and  the  school,  and 
in  a  great  measure  withdrew  from  it ;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Irvin 
also  were  compelled  to  withdraw  on  account  of  ill  health ; 
and  this  led  to  the  abandonment  of  the  mission. 

Mission  work  was  resumed  in  1881,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Irvin  were  re- appointed.  In  1889  the  mission  passed  into 
the  hands  of  the  Home  Board. 

As  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  Christian  women 

Sac  and  Fox      of   the    Iowa    Ladies'    Auxiliary,    missionar}^ 

work  for  this  band,  so   long  neglected,   was 

begun  at  Tama   City  in  1883.     The  little  band  of  Indians 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  213 

numbers  393,  on  a  Reservation  of  1258  acres.  It  was  a 
heathen  island  in  the  midst  of  a  sea  of  Christian  life  and 
influence.  Miss  Anna  Shea  was  appointed  under  the 
auspices  of  the  W.  B.  F.  M.  of  the  N.  W  to  take  charge  of 
the  work.  Her  efiforts  were  first  directed  to  gaining  the 
confidence  of  the  Indians ;  then,  with  an  assistant,  she 
opened  a  mission-room,  fitted  it  up  with  charts,  pictures,  an 
organ  and  a  sewing-machine,  and  gave  instruction  to  as  many 
as  would  come,  though  the  attendance  was  very  irregular. 
She  writes :  "I  cannot  tell  you  how  my  heart  yearns  over 
these  Indians  as  I  move  among  them  day  by  day,  and  I  long 
to  be  used  in  a  way  to  hasten  their  enlightenment."  This 
mission  was  transferred  to  the  Home  Board  in  1890. 

The  Omaha  and  Otoe  Mission  was  commenced 
oSer^^"        in    1846.     These  tribes  occupied   the  country 

north  of  the  lowas,  and  understood  their  lan- 
guage. The  following  account  is  given  in  the  Annual 
Reports  of  the  Board  for  1847  and  1848  : 

The  Otoes  are  divided  into  six  bands,  and  number  1 166.  They  are 
much  esteemed  by  the  neig;hboring  tribes  for  their  daring  spirit,  but 
their  moral  character  is  far  from  being  good.  The  Omahas  number 
1050,  and  are  considered  more  docile  and  harmless  than  the  adjoining 
tribes.  They  have  been  forced  to  leave  their  old  villages  above  Council 
Bluffs  by  their  enemies,  the  Sioux,  and  are  much  dispirited.  They 
are  very  poor,  both  men  and  women  being  clothed  in  skins,  and  their 
children,  even  in  winter,  are  nearly  naked.  Poor  as  they  are,  the 
Omahas  are  strongly  addicted  to  intoxicating  liquors.  Both  tribes 
are  in  a  state  of  degradation,  destitution  and  wretchedness. 

Mission  work  was  begun  by  Rev.  Edmund  McKinney 
and  his  wife,  and  Mr.  Paul  Bloohm  as  assistant.  The  place 
selected  as  a  station  was  Bellevue,  west  of  the  Missouri 
River  and  north  of  the  Platte  (now  Sarpy  County,  Nebraska). 
The  next  year  means  were  furnished  by  some  friends  of  the 
Indians  in  New  York  City  to  establish  a  boarding-school. 
The  Otoes  gave  their  annuity  of  $500  that  their  children 
might  share  in  the  benefits  of  the  school.  By  September, 
1848,  twenty- five  boys  and  girls  were  gathered  into  the 
school,  and  in  1854  there  were  forty-two  scholars. 

The  Omaha  Mission. — In  1855  these  two  tribes  made  new 
treaties  with  the  government  by  which  they  ceded  a  large 
part  of  their  territory  to  the  United  States.  A  new  Reserva- 
tion was  set  apart  for  the  Omahas,  and  they  removed  thither 
within  the  year.  According  to  the  treaty,  640  acres,  includ- 
ing the  mission  buildings,  were  transferred  to  the  Board. 
The  proceeds  of  this,  when  sold,  were  devoted  "to  promote 


214  HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF    THE    MISSIONS 

the  cause  of  education  and  religion  among  the  Indian  tribes 
in  that  region  or  the  country."  A  station  was  selected  in 
the  new  Reservation  at  Blackbird  Hills,  in  the  northeast  of 
Nebraska,  on  the  Missouri  River,  seventy  miles  above  Omaha 
City.  Rev.  William  Hamilton  superintended  the  erection 
of  the  new  buildings,  but  was  compelled  by  feeble  health  to 
retire  from  the  field  in  1857.  He  was  followed  by  Rev. 
Charles  Sturges,  M.D.,  and  wife,  with  a  corps  of  twelve 
teachers  and  assistants,  four  of  whom  were  Indians.  The 
school  was  re- opened  in  1857,  forty-three  scholars  were 
enrolled,  and  a  church  was  organized.  The  experiment  of  a 
mission  farm  was  again  tried,  and  with  success. 

In  1868-69  the  lands  of  the  Indians  were  divided  and 
assigned  to  them  in  severalty.  It  was  hoped  that  this  meas- 
ure would  result  in  good.  As,  however,  the  funds  appro- 
priated by  the  government  were  withdrawn  at  the  same  time, 
it  resulted  in  the  discontinuance  of  the  boarding-school.  In 
place  of  it  several  day-schools  under  charge  of  the  Board 
were  established.  The  same  year  witnessed  the  first  con- 
siderable increase  of  the  church.  Nineteen  members  were 
received  by  Mr.  Hamilton,  who  had  returned  to  the  mission 
in  1867. 

At  the  instance  of  the  government,  and  at  the  request  of 
the  chiefs,  the  boarding-school  was  re-opened  in  December, 
1879,  the  government  agreeing  to  pay  a  considerable  part  of 
the  expense.  In  1883  a  change  in  this  school  was  made  by 
which  only  girls  were  admitted  as  scholars,  the  government 
having  a  boarding-school  for  boys  within  three  miles  of  the 
mission.  The  same  year  Mr.  J.  T.  Copley  was  appointed  a 
lay  missionary.  This  mission  was  transferred  to  the  Home 
Board  in  1890.  Two  churches  are  reported  in  1897,  with 
51  members. 

The  Otoe  Mission. — The  Otoes  were  interested  in  the 
missionary  operations  at  Bellevue  till  the  close  of  that  mis- 
sion in  1855.  Their  own  reservation  lay  about  sixty  miles 
to  the  west,  on  the  Platte  River.  Upon  their  removal  thither 
the  Board  entered  into  an  agreement  with  the  Indian  De- 
partment to  establish  a  school  for  their  children  also.  A 
missionary  of  another  church  had  labored  for  a  while  among 
them,  but,  because  of  their  roving  habits  and  frequent 
absences,  the  mission  was  given  up.  In  accordance  with 
their  agreement,  the  Board  put  up  a  school-house  on  their 
reservation  in  1856,  and  Rev.  D.  A.  Murdock,  with  a  corps 
of  teachers,  was  put  in  charge  of  the  mission.     Several  of 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMICKICAN    INDIANS.  215 

the  teachers  were  natives  who  had  been  trained  in  the  Iowa 
school.  Rev.  H.  W.  Guthrie  was  appointed  to  the  mission 
in  iSs8.  The  Indians  received  the  missionaries  kindly,  and 
listened  to  their  instructions,  but  were  unwilling  to  allow 
their  children  to  attend  the  school.  Throughout  the  year 
but  six  or  eight  were  in  the  school  at  one  time,  and  the 
teachers'  patience  was  greatly  tried  by  their  fickleness  and 
indifference.  The  next  year  Mr.  Guthrie  withdrew  from 
the  field,  and  after  the  close  of  the  year  the  mission  was  dis- 
continued. 

T>u   IT"  1  The    Kickapoos   are   an    interesting    tribe    of 

The  Kickapoo    ,    j  •  t,      .  •  i_  ..1,  ^1- 

Micc^,^„  Indians,  about  227   in   number,  in   the   north- 

eastern  part  of  Kansas,  about  twenty  miles 
south  of  the  Iowa  mission.  Like  other  tribes  in  the  same 
region,  they  had  ceded  their  lands  to  the  government, 
reserving  a  sufficiency  for  their  own  use.  The  mission 
among  these  Indians  was  commenced  in  1856,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Honnell,  with  a  farmer  and  a  force  of  teachers,  reaching 
the  field  in  July.  Twenty  boys  were  at  once  committed  to 
their  care,  but  no  gii'ls. 

The  work  was,  however,  soon  subjected  to  unexpected 
difficulties,  which  greatly  retarded  its  progress.  In  addition 
to  privations  and  hardships,  the  missionaries  were  forced  to 
endure  the  want  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  the  Indians 
and  many  petty  annoyances  from  unprincipled  white  men. 
The  Indians  were  ignorant,  and  had  no  just  appreciation  of 
the  importance  of  education.  They  had  loeen  often  wronged, 
and  were  naturally  suspicious.  The  unprincipled  whites 
did  all  in  their  power  to  increase  these  suspicions  and  pre- 
judices. As  these  adverse  influences  continued  to  exist  in 
full  force,  and  there  seemed  no  prospect  of  overcoming 
them,  the  Board  resolved  to  discontinue  the  school  and  close 
the  mission,  which  was  done  in  June,  i860. 
_     „.  In    1865    the  sympathies  of  the    missionaries 

Ko^rx  iwjooj^r.  among  the  Oniahas,  and  of  the  Board,  were 
bago  Mission      ,,*>,.,     ^  ,     ,         ,   .,,,..        , 

deeply    enlisted    for    a    body    of    Winnebago 

Indians.     They  had   formerly  lived   in   Minnesota,  but  had 

been  driven  from  their  homes  by   the  Sioux,  and   had  been 

living  for  a  while  in   an   unsettled  condition  on  the  Omaha 

Reservation.     They  were  about    12 10  in   number,  were  full 

of  courage,  and  more  cordial  and  frank  in  their  manner  than 

most  Indians.     They   showed   also   the   great   advantage  of 

having   been   under   missionary  influence    in    their    former 

abode,  where    an  excellent   Cumberland   Presbyterian   mis- 


2l6  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF    THE    MISSIONS 

sionary  had  spent  many  years  in  laboring  for  their  welfare. 
A  few  could  read  imperfectly,  and  they  were  generally 
anxious  to  learn.  They  were  partially  civilized,  and,  in  a 
memorial  to  the  Indian  Department,  requested  that  a  scliool 
might  be  established  among  them.  In  1868  Rev.  Joseph  M. 
Wilson  reached  the  Winnebago  district  and  entered  upon 
the  work.  After  somewhat  over  a  year's  labor,  following 
the  convictions  of  duty,  Mr.  Wilson  left  the  mission  to 
enter  upon  the  work  of  the  ministry  among  the  white  popu- 
lation. As  the  Friends  were  making  efforts  for  the  secular 
and  religious  instruction  of  the  tribe,  the  Board  was  led  to 
withhold  further  efforts  among  the  Winnebagoes  until  1881, 
when  a  mission  was  established  with  Rev.  S.  N.  D.  Martin 
and  wife  in  charge. 

A  chapel  and  manse  were  built,  and  a  church  organized 
with  a  flourishing  Sunday-school.  The  work  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  Board  of  Home  Missions  in  1890,  and  has  con- 
tinued to  make  progress. 

Th  n  b-  f  '^^^  Dakota  Mission  was  commenced  in  1835 
Mission  by  Rev.    Messrs.    Thomas  S.  Williamson  and 

J.  D.  Stevens,  with  their  wives,  and  two  un- 
married women,  under  commission  from  the  American 
Board.  They  landed  at  Fort  Snelling,  and  soon  selected 
for  their  station  Lake  Harriet,  five  or  six  miles  west  of  the 
fort.  Another  station  was  established  at  Lac  qui  Parle,  two 
hundred  miles  further  west.  The  Dakotas,  or  Sioux,  were 
not  only  one  of  the  largest  tribes  in  the  United  States,  then 
not  far  from  50,000  in  number  (30,000  at  the  present  time), 
but  one  of  the  most  warlike,  inhabiting  a  vast  tract  of 
country,  embracing  the  largest  part  of  Minnesota  and 
Dakota,  and  a  portion  of  Nebraska,  Wyoming  and  Mon- 
tana. The  first  years  of  the  missionaries'  labors  were  spent 
in  the  midst  of  discouragements,  opposition  and  persecu- 
tion. In  1850  there  were  three  organized  churches  and 
thirty-one  communicants.  In  1853  the  Dakotas  removed  to 
their  Reservation,  the  stations  then  occupied  within  the  ceded 
territory  were  given  up,  and  new  ones  selected.  From  this 
time  till  1862  there  was  a  slow  but  steady  increase  in  the 
number  of  converts.  Then  came  the  horrible  massacre  of 
the  white  settlers  by  Indians,  who  thus  sought  to  destroy 
Christianity  and  those  whom  they  regarded  as  their  enemies. 
They  were  speedily  overthrown,  and  some  two  thousand 
Dakotas  were  taken  prisoners.  Of  these,  thirty-eight  were 
executed   at    Mankato.     Many    of    the    prisoners,    mainly 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  217 

through  the  faithful  labors  of  Dr.  Williamsou,  were  brought 
under  the  influence  of  the  truth,  and  three  hundred  and  five 
were  baptized  ;  and  at  another  place  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  united  with  the  church  on  profession  of  their  faith. 

In  187 1  a  portion  of  this  mission  was  transferred  to  the 
Presbj'terian  Board,  with  the  missionaries,  Rev.  Thomas  S. 
Williamson,  M.D.,  the  founder  of  the  mission,  and  his  son, 
Rev.  John  P.  Williamson.  With  them  came  two  churches, 
that  of  Flandreau,  ministered  to  by  Rev.  J.  P.  Williamson, 
and  that  of  Greenwood,  with  its  native  pastor.  Rev.  W.  O. 
Rogers  In  these  churches,  according  to  the  report  of  1872, 
were  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  communicants.  Up  to  the 
time  of  the  transfer  forty  missionaries  had  been  engaged  in 
the  service,  and  the  whole  number  gathered  into  the  church 
from  first  to  last  was  not  far  from  one  thousand.  The 
Annual  Report  of  1872  states  : 

The  members  of  the  Flandreau  church  belong  to  a  colony  of 
Indians  (numbering  in  all  about  360)  who  left  the  Santee  agency, 
Nebraska,  three  years  ago,  determined  to  become  citizens  and  live  like 
white  men.  By  'that  act  they  cut  themselves  loose  from  the  tribe,  and 
have  no  oversij^ht  nor  receive  any  aid  from  the  Indian  Department 
since.  They  are  therefore  poor,  but  believing  that  the  gospel  is  the 
corner-stone  to  civilization,  they  cling  to  that  and  labor  on  with  hope. 
They  are  principally  from  that  portion  of  the  Santee  tribe  with  which 
the  Messrs.  Pond  labored  so  long  and  earnestly,  seeing  but  little  fruit 
until  the  massacre  in  Minnesota,  ten  years  ago  {i.e.,  1S62).  This 
was  followed  by  a  great  awakening.  The  majority  of  the  700  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  among  the  Dakotas  were  converted  at  that 
time.  The  generous  aid  of  friends,  given  through  the  Memorial  Com- 
mittee, enabled  the  Flandreau  church  to  erect  a  neat  little  meeting, 
house,  worth  something  over  |iooo.  To  this  they  are  dearly  attached, 
and  can  only  be  kept  awav  on  Sabbath  by  the  severest  necessity  One 
of  the  storiiiv  da vs last  winter,  Paksikan.  a  man  so  deformed  in  his 
legs  that  I  had  imagined  he  could  scarcely  walk  forty  rods,  walked 
eijiht  miles  to  church.  His  clothes  were  so  thin  that  he  was  afraid  to 
ride  lest  he  should  freeze  to  death. 

Mr.  Williamson  continued  until  his  death  in  charge  of 
the  church  and  mission  work  at  Yankton  Agency,  while 
that  at.  Flandreau  has  had  native  pastors.  In  1877  Rev. 
John  Eastman,  a  native,  was  installed  as  pastor  by  the 
Presbytery  of  Dakota.  Besides  the  pastor,  two  of  those 
who  took  part  in  the  installation  were  full-blooded  Dakotas 
who,  fourteen  years  before,  had  been  heathen.  The  com- 
munity at  Flandreau  made  rapid  progress  in  Christian  civil- 
ization. In  1892,  every  adult  Indian  was  a  member  of  some 
church. 

In   1887  a  colony    from   the  Yanktou  Agency    Church 

(15) 


2l8  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

formed  Hill  Church,  eleven  miles  east,  with  27  members. 
Another  colony  was  organized  in  1887  into  the  Cedar  Church, 
fourteen  miles  west.  These  churches  were  from  the  begin- 
ning carried  on  by  the  Indian  pastors  and  elders. 

. ,  This  station,  in  the  southwest  corner  of  South 

AJencv  ^^  Dakota,  was  opened  in  1886,  by  Rev.  Charles 
G.  Sterling,  assisted  by  Miss  Dickson  and  Miss 
McCreight,  and  several  Indian  helpers.  The  policy  in  this 
Agency  was  to  scatter  the  Indians,  as  widely  as  possible,  so 
that  most  of  the  work  had  to  be  done  in  the  out-stations 
which  were  successively  opened  at  Porcupine,  White  Clay, 
Wounded  Knee  and  the  Cheyenne  Camp.  This  region  was 
the  centre  of  the  Indian  outbreak  of  1891,  which  greatly 
interfered  with  the  work.  In  1892  a  church  was  organized 
at  Wounded  Knee. 

The  first  station  among  the  Dakotas  of  Montana 
Montana  was  Poplar  Creek,  which  was  opened  in   1880, 

by  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Wood.  Miss  Dickson  and 
Miss  McCreight  took  charge  of  the  school,  and  worked 
zealously  until  they  were  transferred  to  the  new  field  at  Pine 
Ridge.  The  work  was  afterward  extended  to  Wolf  Point 
and  Deer  Tail.  The  usual  hindrances  and  embarrassments 
of  pioneer  work  were  not  wanting,  but  faithful  labor  resulted 
in  the  organization  of  a  little  church  in  1892. 

The  Dakota  churches  were  transferred  to  the  Board  of 
Home  Missions  in  1893.  They  are  organized  into  a  Presby- 
tery of  twenty-one  churches,  all  with  Indian  pastors,  situated 
in  North  and  South  Dakota,  Minnesota  and  Montana. 

The  account  of  this  mission  would  be  incomplete  without 
a  brief  notice  of  its  founder,  the  Rev.  Thomas  S.  Williamson. 
Born  in  South  Carolina  ;  graduated  from  Jefferson  College 
in  1820 ;  a  skillful  physician  of  ten  years'  practice  ;  in  1833 
he  and  his  wife  gave  themselves  up  to  their  life-work  among 
the  Indians.  He  was  appointed  in  1835,  by  the  American 
Board  to  be  a  missionary  among  the  Dakotas,  and  remained 
at  his  post  for  forty-four  years.  "  He  had  unshaken  faith  in 
his  work,  and  was,  by  his  capacity  for  severe  exertion,  and 
by  systematic,  persevering  industry,  enabled  to  accomplish 
an  almost  incredible  amount  of  labor."  In  addition  to 
preaching  he  was  occupied,  together  with  Dr.  S.  R.  Riggs, 
in  translating  the  Scriptures  into  Dakota,  and  lived  to  see 
the  work  accomplished.  '  He  lived  to  see  among  the  Dako- 
tas ten  ordained  Presbyterian  ministers,  and  about  800 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.     ' '  Perhaps  no  man 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  219 

was  ever  blessed  with  a  helpmeet  more  adapted  to  his  wants 
than  the  lovely,  cheerful,  quiet,  systematic  Christian  wife, 
who,  for  forty-five  years,  encouraged   him   in  his  labors." 
She  died  in  1872  ;  he  on  the  morning  of  June  24,  1879. 
-,     „  This  tribe  in  1886   numbered  about  3200  (at 

Perce  Mission  Present  about  1450),  and  occupied  a  Reserva- 
tion in  the  western  part  of  Idaho.  A  mission 
was  conducted  among  them  from  1838  to  1847  by  the  Ameri- 
can Board,  when  the  Indians,  through  the  instigation  of 
Romish  priests,  fell  upon  the  station,  killed  Dr.  Whitman 
and  others,  and  broke  up  the  mission.  Our  Board,  having 
decided  in  187 1  to  occupy  the  field,  appointed  Rev.  H.  H. 
Spalding  and  wife,  who  had  formerly  labored  among  them, 
and  Rev.  H.  T.  Cowley  and  wife  to  undertake  the  work.  Mr. 
Spalding  was  stationed  at  Lapwai,  and  Mr.  Cowley  at  Kamia, 
sixty  miles  to  the  southeast  of  Lapwai.  Mr.  Spalding  received 
a  warm  welcome  from  the  Indians.  His  religious  services 
were  attended  by  large  numbers,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  Holy  Spirit  was  poured  out  in  a  remarkable  measure. 
During  his  first  year  he  was  permitted  to  baptize  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-four  converts.  Mr.  Cowley's  labors  also 
shared  in  the  blessings,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  converts 
were  baptized  by  him. 

A  number  of  schools  had  been  established  by  the  govern- 
ment among  these  Indians,  and  the  missionaries  were  invited 
to  take  the  oversight  of  them,  which  they  did.  In  addition, 
Mr.  Spalding  had  a  number  of  boarding-scholars  in  his  own 
family.  In  the  school  at  Kamia  seventy-three  scholars  were 
enrolled  in  1872. 

Mr.  Cowley  retired  from  the  mission  in  1873,  and  Mr. 
George  Ainslie  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  In  1874  seventy- 
two  Xez  Perces  and  two  hundred  and  fifty-three  Spokans 
(a  neighboring  tribe)  are  reported  as  having  been  baptized, 
making  the  entire  number  of  converts  nine  hundred  and 
forty-seven.  They  do  not  all  seem,  however,  to  have  been 
regularl}^  received  into  the  church,  and  later  reports  show 
that  many  of  them  went  back  to  their  old  life  again. 

In  1874  Mr.  Spalding  died  on  the  field.  Mr.  Ainslie 
and  the  other  teachers,  who  were  supported  by  the  Indian 
school  funds,  remained  at  their  posts.  No  other  missionary 
was  sent  out  by  the  Board  till  1878,  when  Rev.  G.  L.  Def- 
fenbaugh  was  appointed.  When  he  entered  upon  his  work 
he  made  a  careful  search  for  church  members.  Three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-oue  were  found,  and  the  church  placed  in 


220  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF    THE    MISSIONS 

intimate  connection  with  the  Presbytery  of  Oregon.  The 
Spokan  Church  was  also  reorganized  with  a  membership  of 
92.  A  third  church  was  organized  at  Deep  Creek,  in 
Wyoming  Territory,  1880 ;  a  fourth  on  the  Umatilla  Reserve, 
Oregon,  1882;  and  a  fifth  at  Wellpinit,  W.  T,  1882,  among 
the  Spokans,  and  in  four  years  146  persons  were  added  to 
them. 

For  several  years  before  the  transfer  of  this  mission  to 
the  Board  of  Home  Missions  in  1893,  two  devoted  sisters, 
the  Misses  McBeth,  were  the  only  white  missionaries  on  the 
Reservation.  Miss  Kate  McBeth  devoted  herself  to  the  women 
and  children,  striving  to  develop  among  them  a  true  ideal  of 
family  life.  Miss  Sue  McBeth,  a  woman  of  remarkable 
energy  and  talent,  found  her  especial  work  in  training  young 
men  for  the  ministry.  Most  of  the  Indian  pastors  in  the 
mission  were  educated  under  her  supervision. 

After  the  outbreak  under  Chief  Joseph  in  1878,  part  of 
the  Nez  Perces  were  transferred  to  the  Indian  Territory. 
Three  graduates  of  Miss  McBeth 's  school  were  sent  by  the 
Board  to  work  among  them,  and  a  church  was  organized  in 
1880  with  eighty  members. 

The  Nez  Perces  in  Idaho  are  now  a  settled  people,  many 
of  them  prizing  the  fruits  of  industry  and  the  blessings  of 
civilization.  The  work  of  former  years  has  not  been  in 
vain,  but  much  still  remains  to  be  done  before  they  become 
a  fully  civilized  and  Christian  people.  The  field  is  one  of 
great  promise. 

Among  the  Indians  of  the  Southwest. 

The  Creek  mission    was  commenced  in  1842. 

The  Creeks        These  Indians,  numbering  about   20,000,  had 

been   forcibly   removed,   in    1837,    from    their 

homes  in  Alabama  and  Georgia,  and  settled  in  the  Indian 

Territory. 

The  American  Board  had  missions  among  them  from 
1832  till  1837.  In  the  latter  year  the  Creeks,  instigated  by 
neighboring  whites,  with  slanderous  charges  petitioned  the 
United  States  agent  to  remove  the  missionaries,  and  they 
were  summarily  expelled  without  a  hearing.  The  Indians 
had  come  to  their  new  homes,  soured  and  disappointed,  and 
but  little  disposed  for  efforts  of  self-improvement. 

For  several  years  they  were  destitute  of  any  religious 
instruction  whatever.  In  the  fall  of  1841,  Rev.  R.  M. 
Loughridge,  of  the  Presbytery  of  Tuscaloosa,  was  appointed 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  221 

a  missionary  and  sent  to  make  a  visit  of  inquiry  and  exam- 
ination, furnished  with  letters  from  the  War  Department 
and  from  the  Board  to  the  chiefs.  In  January,  1842,  he 
received  permission  from  the  Council  to  inaugurate  a  mis- 
sion and  to  establish  a  school. 

Mr.  I^oughridge  entered  regularly  on  the  work  early  in 
1843,  selecting  a  station  named  Koweta,  a  point  on  the  Ark- 
ansas River  convenient  to  several  Indian  towns.  The  school 
was  opened  in  June,  1S43,  with  six  scholars;  but  the  num- 
bers soon  increased.  The  teaching  was  altogether  in 
English.  The  boarding-school  was  not  opened  till  1845,  and 
the  number  of  scholars  was  at  first  limited  to  twenty,  for 
want  of  room.  The  parents  were  so  anxious,  however,  to 
have  their  children  placed  in  the  school  that,  though  poor, 
they  offered  to  bring  for  their  support  any  articles  they  could 
raise  from  their  gardens  and  farms  For  the  purpose  of 
increasing  the  school  facilities,  the  Indians  agreed  that  a 
part  of  their  annuities  should  be  applied  to  educational  pur- 
poses ;  and  in  1848  a  much  larger  house  was  built  at 
Koweta,  and  at  Tullahassee,  sixteen  miles  east  of  Koweta, 
a  still  larger  one,  capable  of  accommodating  eighty  board- 
ing scholars,  was  erected.  To  these  schools  they  gave 
$6000  and  agreed  to  pay  $50  per  scholar  yearly. 

The  missionaries  were  early  convinced  that  the  manual- 
labor  boarding-school  was  far  superior  to  the  day-school 
plan,  and,  indeed,  that  it  was  the  only  system  by  which  the 
teacher  could  ensure  lasting  improvement. 

The  school  at  Tullahassee  soon  received  its  full  comple- 
ment of  scholars,  40  boys  and  40  girls,  and  for  several 
years  this  number  remained  the  same  Some  years  the 
attendance  reached  100,  and  in  1861,  121  were  enrolled.  It 
was  manned  by  a  full  corps  of  teachers  under  Mr.  Lough- 
ridge  and  Rev.  W.  S.  Robertson.  But  this  prosperity  was 
brought  to  a  sudden  close  by  the  Civil  War.  Most  of  the 
Indians  joined  the  South  in  i86r,  and  all  missionary  opera- 
tions in  this  region  were  stopped 

When  the  storm  of  war  had  swept  by ,  the  Board  deter- 
mined to  re-establish  the  mission,  and  in  1866,  Rev.  W.  S. 
Robertson  and  wife  returned  to  the  field.  The  school  was 
re-opened,  and  was  soon  filled  to  its  capacity.  The  building 
was  burned  in  December,  1880,  and  the  school  was  dis- 
banded again,  until  temporary'  buildings  could  be  provided 
by  the  Council.  In  1882  the  boarding-school  was  removed 
to  Wealaka,  under  the  charge  of  Rev.  R.  M.  Loughridge  and 


^22  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF'   THE   MISSIONS 

wife,  who  had  returned  to  the  field  in  1881.  The  Creek 
trustees  then  gave  the  station  farm  with  its  appurtenances  to 
be  used  as  a  manual-labor  school  for  colored  children.  The 
school  at  Wealaka  has  been  very  prosperous. 

Two  churches  were  organized  in  connection  with  the 
mission,  one  at  North  Fork,  and  one  at  Wealaka,  with  an 
aggregate  of  119  members. 

Rev.  W.  S.  Robertson,  who  died  in  1881,  had  for  more 
than  thirty  years  devoted  himself  to  the  good  of  this  people. 
Mr.  lyoughridge  wrote  of  him  :  ' '  His  whole  heart  seemed 
to  be  devoted  to  the  education  of  the  Indian  youth,  and  he 
has  done  a  good  work,  which  shows  itself  everywhere 
throughout  the  Creek  Nation."  Mrs.  Robertson  remained 
in  the  mission  to  which  she  devoted  her  life,  and  completed 
the  translation  of  the  New  Testament,  for  which  she  was  so 
excellently  fitted  by  her  familiarity  with  both  the  Greek  and 
the  Creek  languages.  In  1882  she  was  transferred  to  the 
Home  Board,  and  continued  to  work  among  the  Creeks  at 
Muscogee.  The  mission  was  transferred  to  the  Home  Board 
in  1887. 

Considerable  portions  of  the  Old  Testament  have  been 
translated  into  the  Muscogee,  and  also  Catechisms,  Readers, 
etc. 

The  Creeks  are  now  counted  among  the  civilized  tribes. 
They  dress  and  live  like  white  people.  They  number  at 
present  about  14,200,  and  occupy  a  Reservation  of  3,040,495 
acres.  They  are  making  progress  in  temperance,  in  indus- 
try, in  good  morals  and  in  religion.  That  this  is  to  be  at- 
tributed in  a  very  great  degree  to  the  Christian  missions 
established  among  them,  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  these 
results  are  the  most  apparent  where  the  tribe  has  had  the 
most  intimate  relations  with  missionary  labor  in  schools  and 
in  preaching  the  gospel. 

Tu^  c^^i 1-,    The  Seminole  Indians,  originally  from  Florida, 

TheSemmole  j  u    ^i.  ^.    ^1     t    j- 

Mission  were  removed  by  the  government  to  the  Indian 

Territory  in  1832,  and,  being  of  the  language 

and  lineage  of  the  Creeks,  were  settled  within  the  Creek 

Reservation. 

The  Presbyterian  Board  desired  to  establish  a  mission 

among  them  as  early  as    1845,  and   Mr.  Loughridge,  of  the 

Creek  mission,  visited  them  ;  but  though  welcomed  by  some, 

he  was  opposed  by  others  who  did  not  want  the  ways  of  the 

white   men,   such  as  "  schools,   preaching,   fiddle-dancing, 

card-playing,  and  the  like,"  brought  among  them.     Sub- 


AMONG   THK   NORTH    AMRRICAN    INDIANS.  223 

sequent  visits  removed  this  feeling  in  some  measure  ;  but  it 
was  not  till  the  fall  of  1848  that  a  missionary,  Rev.  John 
Lilley,  was  sent  to  them.  An  educated  and  pious  Semin- 
ole, Mr.  John  Bemo,  was  also  employed.  A  station  was 
selected,  afterwards  called  Oak  Ridge,  one  hundred  miles 
from  Tullahassee.  The  next  year  a  boarding-school  was 
opened  with  eleven  pupils.  In  1854  Mr.  I^oughridge  held  a 
meeting  at  Oak  Ridge  and  organized  a  church,  when  two 
native  members  were  received,  and  a  deep  religious  interest 
awakened  in  many  minds.  The  good  work  continued,  and 
the  next  year,  Mr.  Templeton,  of  the  Creek  mission,  was 
permitted  to  receive  twenty  persons  into  the  church,  seven 
of  them  scholars  of  the  boarding-school.  This  proved  the 
turning-point  in  the  history  of  this  poor  people.  They  were 
on  the  road  to  extinction,  but  the  grace  of  God  interposed 
and  placed  them  in  the  way  of  social  and  spiritual  advance- 
ment. 

In  1856  Rev.  J.  Ross  Ramsay  joined  the  mission.  He 
brought  to  it  the  experience  of  former  labors  among  the 
Creeks,  and  his  work  was  also  speedily  blessed. 

The  school,  which  for  several  years  had  proved  quite  suc- 
cessful, was  discontinued  in  1859,  because  of  the  unsettled 
condition  of  the  Indians.  They  had  obtained  by  a  treaty 
between  the  government  and  the  Creeks  a  portion  of  the 
Creek  country  at  a  distance  from  the  station,  and  were  about 
to  settle  lapon  it. 

Mr.  Ramsay  accompanied  the  Seminoles  to  their  new 
country  and  established  a  new  station  at  Wewoka.  A  church 
was  soon  organized,  composed  of  some  members  from  the  Oak 
Ridge  church,  to  which  others  were  soon  added  on  profes- 
sion. Such  was  the  state  of  the  mission  when  the  war 
came,  and  all  these  labors  suddenly  ended. 

After  the  war  was  over,  in  1866,  Mr.  Ramsay,  still 
deeply  interested  in  this  field,  visited  the  Seminoles.  He 
reorganized  the  church,  enrolling  sixty-six  members.  A 
blessing  followed  immediately  in  the  addition  of  thirty- 
seven  persons  to  the  church. 

In  1884  another  church  called  Achena  (Cedar),  was 
organized  at  Little  River  with  15  members,  and  a  native 
licentiate,  Mr.  Dorsey  Fife,  appointed  its  suppl3^  The 
boarding-school  was  re-established  in  1870,  and  prospered 
under  the  charge  of  Mr.  Ramsay.  It  was  supported  con- 
jointly by  the  Seminole  Nation  and  the  Board.  This  mis- 
sion was  transferred  in  i88q. 


224  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 

Th    Ch  '^^^  Choctaw  Mission  grew  out  of  an  offer  in 

Mission  ^^45  by  the  Council  of  the  Choctaw  nation  to 

transfer  Spencer  Academy  to  the  care  and 
direction  of  the  Board.  The  academy  had  been  established 
by  the  Council  in  1842,  and  was  located  eleven  miles  north 
of  Fort  Towson  on  the  Red  River.  It  had  an  annual  en- 
dowment of  $6000  from  the  Choctaws  and  $2000  from  the 
Indian  Department,  to  which,  by  their  agreement,  the 
Board  was  to  add  $2000  more.  There  were  buildings  to 
accommodate  100  pupils. 

Rev.  James  B.  Ramsey  was  appointed  superintendent, 
and  entered  upon  his  duties,  with  seven  assistants,  in  1846. 
He  found  ninety-eight  students  in  attendance.  From  the 
first  the  conduct  and  behavior  of  the  students,  their  ability 
to  learn,  their  attention  to  religious  instruction,  and  their 
cheerful  submission  to  the  rules  of  the  institution,  were 
most  satisfactory.  In  1847  a  church  was  organized,  con- 
sisting of  sixteen  members. 

In  1849  Mrs.  Ramsey  was  removed  b}^  death.  Mr. 
Ramsey  was  obliged  to  retire  from  the  mission  on  account  of 
his  health,  and  some  others  of  the  missionary  force  also 
retired.  Their  places  were  filled  by  the  Revs.  Alex.  Reid, 
C.  R.  Gregory  and  wife,  and  A.  J.  Graham. 

The  following  years  were  years  of  progress  and  encour- 
agement. The  numbers  in  the  school  sometimes  reached 
120  or  130  ;  and  Mr.  Reid  said,  in  1855,  that  "he  could  get 
500  pupils  into  the  school  on  a  few  days'  notice,  if  they  were 
open  to  receive  and  instruct  so  many."  In  preaching  tours 
the  missionaries  in  all  the  Councils  met  the  ' '  Spencer  boys; ' ' 
so  that  evidently  the  academy  was  a  fountain,  sending  forth 
influences  all  over  the  Choctaw  Nation. 

The  year  1854  was  signalized  by  a  great  work  of  grace 
at  one  of  the  preaching-points  called  Six-towns.  Deeply 
interesting  meetings  were  held,  and  "  in  less  than  one  year 
between  90  and  100  were  gathered  into  the  Church  of  Christ, 
and  gave  the  most  satisfactory  evidence  of  their  conversion. 
Upwards  of  sixty  children  were  baptized." 

The  same  blessed  influences  were  felt  the  next  year.  At 
another  ' '  big  meeting, ' '  between  sixty  and  seventy  expressed 
concern  for  their  souls,  and  thirty  persons  were  received  into 
the  church,  of  whom  ten  were  students  of  the  academy, 
making  125  within  the  year.  The  result  was  the  establish- 
ment of  a  church  at  Six-towns,  and  a  station  there. 

The    same   year — 1856 — a   girls'    boarding-school    was 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  225 

opened  at  Good  Water,  one  of  the  old  stations  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board.  Rev.  H.  Balentine  with  a  corps  of  teachers 
entered  upon  the  work  there.  It  was  designed  to  accommo- 
date forty -four  pupils,  and  was  soon  filled,  besides  having 
many  day-scholars  in  attendance.  Regular  religious  services 
were  kept  up  at  seven  different  points,  at  several  of  which 
the  Indians  had  built  neat  log  churches,  and  small  houses 
for  the  Saturday  and  Sabbatli-schools  before  mentioned. 
The  number  of  communicants  in  the  churches  in  1859  was 
213;  of  scholars,  171. 

In  1859  the  mission  was  greatly  enlarged  by  the  transfer 
to  it  of  the  missions  previously  conducted  by  the  American 
Board.  The  mission  as  transferred  comprised  seven  ordained 
missionaries,  among  whom  were  the  venerable  Rev.  Cyrus 
Kingsbury  and  Rev.  Cyrus  Byington,  six  native  preachers 
and  helpers,  ten  stations,  twelve  churches  and  an  aggregate 
membership  of  1467.  There  were  three  day  and  three 
boarding-schools,  with  a  school  roll  of  445  scholars. 

The  mission  was  greatly  blessed  during  the  year.  In 
several  of  the  churches  additions  were  received,  and  a  new 
church  of  48  members  was  organized  at  a  station  called 
Jack's  Forks.  The  prospects  for  successful  work  for  the 
Master  were  bright,  when  the  war  with  its  blighting  influence 
swept  over  the  field,  and  brought  all  to  an  end  before  another 
year  had  passed.  A  large  number  of  the  missionaries  and 
teachers  were  compelled  to  withdraw,  but  many  of  the  older 
workers  remained  with  the  churches. 

In  1882,  the  Spencer  Academy,  which  had  for  several 
5'ears  been  under  the  care  of  the  Southern  Church,  was 
relinquished  by  them.  It  was  again  taken  under  the  care  of 
our  Board,  and  Rev.  O.  P.  Stark  appointed  superintendent. 
A  new  building  was  erected  by  the  Council  in  a  better  loca- 
tion, and  the  number  of  students  was  soon  nearly  100.  The 
care  of  the  Choctaw  Mission  was  assumed  by  the  Board  of 
Home  Missions  in  1887. 
Th    Ch-  t         '^^'^  Chickasaws  occupy  a  Reservation  in  the 

oJ!f,iCn!!l1««  Indian  Territorv,  west  of  the  Choctaws,  and 
saw  Mission     ,       ,     .  -.^     ^  ,.  atm  1 

bordering  on  the  Texas  line.     They  number 

about  6,000,  The  mission  among  them  has  been  in  great 
part  educational,  and  arose  out  of  a  proposal  of  the  Indian 
Department,  in  1849,  to  place  under  the  direction  of  the 
Board  a  boarding-school  for  girls,  to  contain  eighty  or  a 
hundred  scholars,  offering  to  erect  the  buildings  and  to  fur- 
nish funds  for  the  support  of  the  school.     Similar  schools 


^26  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE   MISSIONS 

had  been  placed  under  the  care  of  the  Episcopal  and  South- 
ern Methodist  Churches.  The  Board  accepted  the  proposition , 
and  appointed  Mr.  J.  S.  Allen  to  superintend  the  erection  of 
buildings.  Various  hindrances  prevented  the  completion  of 
them,  however,  till  1852,  when  the  school  was  opened  with 
forty  scholars.  The  Chickasaws  manifested  the  greatest 
interest  in  the  work — so  much  so  that  their  council  voted 
$6,000  additional  to  complete  the  buildings. 

Two  stations  were  occupied,  Wapanucka,  where  the  girls" 
seminary  was  situated,  with  Rev.  H.  Balentine  as  superin- 
tendent, and  Boggy  Depot,  where  Rev.  A.  M.  Watson  and 
wife  were  stationed.  A  force  of  nine  teachers  and  assistants 
was  on  the  ground  in  1853,  and  the  school  opened  with 
bright  prospects. 

A  church  was  formed  at  Boggy  Depot  in  1852  ;  another 
at  Wapanucka  is  reported  in  1855.  Rev.  Allen  Wright,  a 
native  preacher,  was  stationed  at  Boggy  Depot  in  i860. 

The  school,  notwithstanding  hindrances  from  a  too  fre- 
quent change  of  teachers,  yet  accomplished  a  noble  work. 
Many  hundred  girls  were  educated  there  in  all  that  would  fit 
them  for  usefulness  in  their  nation.  In  i860,  inasmuch  as 
the  Indians  were  not  willing  to  make  such  pecuniary  provis- 
ion as  the  committee  thought  necessary  to  keep  the  school  in 
efficient  operation,  and  as  they  seemed  desirous  of  under- 
taking the  management  of  it  themselves,  the  Board  yielded 
to  their  wish,  and  its  connection  with  the  school  ceased 

This  mission  was  brought  to  a  sudden  close  by  the  Civil 
War.  It  was  assumed  by  the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church 
in  1 86 1. 

Ind'  M"  There  aie  about  28,928  Indians  connected  with 
sions  in  New  *^^  different  government  agencies  in  New 
Mexico.  Mexico.     Of  these   the  Board  has  attempted 

missionary  operations  among  the  Navajoes, 
numbering  about  8,000,  and  the  Pueblo  or  Village  Indians, 
about  8,254  io  number.  Both  of  these  tribes  are  described 
as  partially  civilized,  temperate,  truthful,  friendly,  and  will- 
ing to  have  schools  opened  for  their  children. 

In  1868  Rev,  J.  M.  Roberts  and  wife  were  appointed 
missionaries  to  the  Navajoes.  Mr.  Roberts  gathered  together 
a  small  number  of  children,  and  thus  commenced  his  work. 
As  no  good  interpreter  could  be  obtained  he  was  not  able  to 
hold  religious  services  nor  conversation. 

In  1870  Rev.  J.  Menaul  and  wife  were  also  sent  to  this 
mission ;  but  Mr.  Menaul  soon  accepted  an  appointment  to 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  227 

medical  work  under  the  agency.  Mrs.  Menaul  conducted 
very  successfully  a  school  ot  about  thirty  scholars. 

In  1S72  Mr  Roberts  received  an  appointment  as  teacher 
among  the  Pueblos.  A  number  of  other  teachers  were  sent 
by  the  Board  at  different  times  to  labor  among  these  Indians, 
being  supported  by  the  Indian  Department.  Of  their  mis- 
sionary labors,  however,  we  have  no  report. 

This  kind  of  work  was  continued  under  many  di.'^courage- 
ments,  the  Board  having  expended  about  $13,000  in  all,  until 
1S77,  when  the  Presbytery  of  Santa  Fe  placed  the  work 
under  the  charge  of  the  Home  Mission  Board,  by  which  it 
has  been  carried  on  since  that  time. 

General  Facts. 

The  record  of  the  Board  from  its  organization  to  1886, 
shows  a  list  of  453  missionaries  of  all  classes  who  were 
engaged  in  these  missions,  and  an  expenditure  for  the  Indians 
of  $525,000,  the  free  gift  of  our  churches,  besides  $520,000, 
entrusted  to  it  by  the  government  for  educational  work. 

Over  3000  persons  were  brought,  during  that  time,  from 
heathenism  into  the  Christian  Church  (exclusive  of  nearly 
2000  transferred  from  the  American  Board,  converts  among 
the  Choctaws,  the  Senecas,  and  the  Dakotas),  besides  many 
thousands  more  who  were  elevated  in  character  and  morals 
by  the  Bible  light  and  influence  around  them,  but  who  never 
united  with  the  church.  At  least  6000  children  were  taught 
in  the  mission  schools,  besides  great  numbers  more  who 
received  instruction  in  the  government  schools,  and  were 
thus  prepared  for  useful  lives. 

The.se  missions  were  certainly  the  chief  agencies  in  the 
civilization,  or  semi-civilization  of  many  tribes, — the  Senecas, 
some  of  the  Chippewa  and  Dakota  bands,  the  Omahas, 
lowas.  Creeks,  Seminoles,  Choctaws  and  others. 

Missions  are  also  carried  on  among  the  Indians  by  the 
Methodists,  Baptists,  Episcopalians,  American  Board,  South- 
ern Presbyterians,  Southern  Baptists,  Southern  Methodists, 
Moravians,  and  Friends. 

The  total  Indian  population  of  the  United  States  (exclu- 
sive of  Alaska,  30,178)  is,  according  to  the  Report  of  the 
Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs  for  1897,  250,430.  Of  these 
there  are  five  civilized  tribes  numbering  70, 246.  Those  under 
the  care  of  the  government  number  180.183,  and  nearly 
50,000  of  their  children  are  receiving  education  in  schools  of 
various  kinds. 


228 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF   THE   MISSIONS 


Missionaries  among  the  North  American  Indians. 

*Died.    fTransferred   from    the  American    Board.     Figures,   Term    of  Service  in 
the  Field     JTransferred  to  Board  of  Home  Missions. 

CHICKASAWS,    1849-1861. 


Allan,  Mr.  James  S., 

1849-1855 

McCarter,  Mr.  J.  C, 

1852-1860 

Allan,  Mrs., 

I 849- I 855 

McCarter,  Mrs., 

i860 

Balentine,  Rev.  H., 

1S59-1861 

McLeod,  MissE.  M., 

1859-1860 

Balentiue,  Mrs., 

1 859-186 1 

Mathers,  Miss  Esther, 

1855-1859 

*Barber,  Miss  Sarah  P. 

,  1855-1859 

Ogdeu,  Miss  Anna, 

1855-1856 

Brower,  Mr., 

1858 

Shellabarger,  Miss  M. 

,1853-1854 

Brower,  Mrs., 

1858 

Stanislaus,  Miss  Clara 

1,1857-1860 

Burns,  Rev.  J.  H., 

1855-1856 

Thayer,  Miss  M.  J.  F. 

, 1854-1858 

Burns,  Miss  Mary  J., 

1853-1856 

Thompson,  Miss  F.  K, 

,1852-1855 

Culbertson,  Miss  L., 

1858-1860 

Turner,  Miss  Anna  M. 

,1859-1860 

Davis,  Mr.  J.  L,., 

1852-1856 

Vance,  Miss  Marv, 

1859-1860 

Downing,  Miss  C.  B., 

1859-1860 

Watson,  Rev.  A.'M., 

1852-1853 

Eddy,  Miss  Clara  W., 

1853-1860 

Watson.  Mrs., 

1852-1853 

Green,  Miss  H.  M., 

1852-1855 

nVilson,  Rev.  C.  H., 

1855-1859 

*Greenleaf,  Miss  M.  C. 

,,1856-1857 

Wilson,  Mrs  , 

1855-1859 

*Lee.  Miss  Flora, 

1855-1859 

Wilson,  Miss  Mary  J., 

1853-1854 

Long,  Miss  Sarah  R., 

1S59-1861 

CHIPPEWAS  (MICHIGAN),  1838-1871, 

CHIPPFWAS  (I.AKE   superior),   1852-189O. 

Baird,  Rev.  Isaac, 

1873-1884 

Isbell,  Miss  W.  A., 

1853-1859 

Baird,Mrs.  (MissM.  L. 

Maclarry,  Miss  M., 

1879-1884 

Tarbell,  1872), 

1874-1884 

Mills,  Rev.  S.J., 

1871-1872 

Beach,  Miss  P.  A., 

185S-1860 

Mills,  Mrs., 

1871-1872 

tBlatchford,  Rev.  H., 

Phillips,  MissH.  N., 

1871-1875 

Bradley,  Mr.  Henry, 

1841-1846 

Porter,  Mr.  Andrew, 

1847-1871 

Bradley,  Mrs., 

1841-1846 

Porter,  Mrs., 

1847-1871 

Cowles,  Miss  H.  L., 

1853-1854 

Porter,  Mr.  John, 

1854-1861 

Dougherty,  Rev.  Peteri838-i87i 

Porter,  Mrs., 

1854-1861 

Dougherty,  Mrs., 

1840-1871 

.  Porter,  Miss  Ann, 

1852-1868 

Dougherty,  Miss  H., 

1860-1862 

Spees,  Rev.  F., 

1884 

Dougherty,  Miss  S., 

1862-1866 

Specs,  Mrs., 

1884 

Dougherty,  Miss  N., 

1873-1875 

Turner,  Mr.  J.  G., 

1853-1853 

JDoughertv,  Miss  S.  A. 

,1873 

Turner,  Mrs., 

1853-1858 

tDougherty,MissC.H. 

,1885 

Verbeck,  MissS., 

1871-1878 

Ells,  Mrs.  M., 

1885 

Walker,  Miss  Lydia  B. 

,1873-1875 

Fleming,  Rev.  John, 

1838-1839 

Whiteside,  Mr.  J.  K., 

1850-1852 

Fleming,  Mrs., 

1838-1839 

Whiteside,  Mrs., 

1850-1852 

Gibson,  Miss  C.  A., 

1859-1862 

Williamson.Mr.  A.  W. 

,1872 

Gibson,  Miss  M.  E., 

1862-1865 

Wright,  Rev.  S.  G., 

18S4 

Guthrie,  Rev.  H.  W., 

1855-1857 

Wright,  Mrs., 

J  884 

CHOCTAWS,  1845-1887. 


Ainslie,   Rev.    George, 

'52-'56;  1858-1861 
*Ainslie,  Mrs.,  1861 

Balentine,     Rev.      H., 

'50-'52;  1855-1859 
Balentine, Mrs., '50-'52;i855-i859 


Betz,  Mr.  Joseph  S.,      1846-1855 
*Betz,  Mrs.,  1847-1855 

Bissell,  Mr.  Lewis,  1846-1849 
Burtt,  Mr.  Robert  J.,  1853-1857 
Burtt,  Mrs.,  1855-1857 

*Byington,  Rev.  Cyrus,  1859-1861 


AMONG   THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS. 


229 


Byingtou,  Mrs.,  1861 

*Copelaiid,  Rev.  C.  C,  1859-186 1 
Culbertson,  Miss  h  ,  1 860-1 86 1 
Davidson,  Miss  Maria,  1S55-1856 
Denny,  Miss  M.  E.,  1856-1858 
Diament,  Miss  Eliz.,  1857-1861 
Downing,  Miss  C.  B.,  1860-1861 
*Dutcher,  Miss  Susan,  1848-185 1 
Eddy,  Miss  Clara  W.,  1 860-1 861 
Edwards, Rev. J, '51  53;  1859-1861 
Edwards,  Mrs.,  1851-1853 

Eells,  Rev.  Edward,  1855-1856 
Eells,  Mrs.,  1855-1856 

Evans,  Mr.  Edward,  1853-1860 
Evans,  Mrs.,  1853-1860 

Fishback,  Chas.,M.D.,  1848- 1849 
Frothiughani,  Rev.  J.,  1857-1859 
Frothiugham,  Mrs.,  1857-1859 
Gardiner,  Mr.  C.  H.,  1846-1849 
*Gardiuer,  Mrs.,  1846-1849 

*Graham,  Rev.  Alex.  J  ,1849-1850 
Gregory,  Rev.  C.  R.,  1849-1850 
Gregory,  Mrs.,  1849-1850 

Hancock,  Miss  E  Y.,  1858-1859 
Hitchcock,  Miss  J.  M.,  1857-186 1 
Hobbs,  Rev.S.L.,M.D,  1859-1861 
Hobbs,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

HoUingsworth,       Miss 
J.  S.,  1855-1856 

*Hotchkin,  Rev.  E.,  1859-186 1 
Hotchkin,  Mrs  ,  18=59-1861 

Ives,  Mr.  Charles  P.,  1860-1861 
Jackson,  Rev.  Sheldon,  185S-1859 
Jackson,  Mrs.,  1858-1859 

Jones,  Mr.  J.,  1859-1861 

Jones,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

Kingsbury,  Rev.  C,  1859-1861 
Kingsburv,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

Lee,  Mr.  S.  O.,  1859-1861 


Lee,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

Libby,  Mr.  S.  T.,  1859-1861 

Libby,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

Long,  Miss  Sarah  R.,  1860-1864 
Lowrie,  Mr.  Reuben,  1852-1853 
McBeth,  Miss  Sue,  1859  -1861 
Mcl.eod,  Miss  E.  M.,  i86o-iS6i 
McLure,  Mr.  Joseph,  1846-1847 
McLure,  Mrs.,  1846-1847 

Martin, Miss  EniilvO.,1856-1857 
Mitchell,  Miss  H.N. ,  1855-1856 
Moore,  Rev.  G.  L  ,  1856-1857 
Moore,  Mrs.,  1856-1857 

Morehead,  Miss  Nancy ,  1859-186 1 
Morrison,   Miss  E.  J., 

i846-'54  ;  '56-59 

Nourse,  Mr.  J.  H.,        1^53-1854 

Nourse,  Mrs.,  1853-1854 

*Ramsay,  Rev.  J.  B.,   1846-1849 

*Ramsay,  Mrs.,       1846-1849 

Reid,  Rev.  Alex.,  1849-1861 

*Reid,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  1854 

*Reid,  Mrs   (Miss  F.  K. 

Thompson,  1850).      1855-1861 
JSchermerhorn,  Rev.F.,1883 
jSchermerhorn,  Mrs.,    1883 
jSchermerhorn,  Mr.  L.,1883 
*Silliman,  Rev.  C.  J.,     1855-1856 
Stanislaus,  Miss  C, '55-56;  '60-61 
*vStark,     Rev.     O.      P., 

'46-49; '59-61;  '82 
Stark,  Mrs.,  1859-1861 

Turner,  Mr.  Joseph  C. ,1850-1852 
Wentz,  Rev.  H.  A.,  1857-1860 
Wiggins,  Mr.  N.,  1857-1861 

Wiggins.  Miss  Sarah,  1857-1859 
Wilson,  Rev.  Jonathan,  1856-1857 
Young,  Mr.  Robert  J.,  1856-1861 
Young,  Mrs.,  1S61 


CREEKS,  1842-1887. 


Baldwin,  Miss  E.  J.,  1S76-1885 

Balentine,  Rev.  H.,  1848-1850 

Balentine,  Mrs.,  1849-1850 

Bardue,  Miss  L.,  1884 

Bowen,  Miss  Mary,  1850-1852 

Brown,  Miss  S.  G.,  1876-1877 

Buckbee,  Miss  Cora,  1885-1887 

Chambers,  Miss  Effie,  1886-1887 

Cole,  Miss  P.  A.,  1880-1887 
Craig,  Mrs.  A.  A.  (Miss 

A.  A.  Robertson, '71), 1876-18S3 

*Cronwhite,  J.  J.,  1884-1885 

Cronwhite^  E.  L-,  1885 


Davis,  Mr.  J.  P., 
Denton,  Miss  L-, 
Diament,  Rev.  J.  N., 
Diament,  Mrs., 
Diament,  Miss  Eliz., 
Diament,  Miss  Naomi, 
Eakins,  Rev.  D   W., 
Eddy,  Miss  Clara  W., 
Edwards,  Miss  Katie, 
Freeland,  Miss  R.  M., 
Garrison,  Miss  Jane, 
Golde,  Mr.  Ellas, 
Golde,  Mrs., 


1858-1861 

1884 

1883-1887 

1S83-1887 

1854-1856 

1854-1856 

I 848- I 850 

1852-1853 

1870-1872 

18S5 

1857-1860 

1854 

1854 


230 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF   THE   MISSIONS 


Green,  Miss  H.  M., 
Green,  Miss  Lilian, 
Hall,  Miss  Nellie, 
Herod,  Mrs.  M., 
Hoyt,  Miss  Nancy, 
Irwin,  Miss  M., 
Jones,  Mr.  J., 
Jones,  Mrs., 
Junkin,  James,  M.D., 
Junkin,  Mrs., 
Junkin,  Mr.  Jos.  B., 
Junkin,  Mrs., 
Keys,  Miss  E.  h-, 
Keys,  Miss  Fanny, 
Limber,  Rev.  John, 
Loomis,  Rev.  A.  W., 

*Loomis,  Mrs., 
Loughridge,Rev.R.M, 

*Loughridge,  Mrs.  O., 

*Loughridge,Mrs.M.A. 
Loughridge,  Mrs.,'6i  ; 
Marshall,  Warren, 
McCay,  Miss  H.J., 
McCullough,  Mr.  R.B. 
McCullough,  Mrs., 

*McEwen,  Mr.  Alex. 
McGee,  Rev.  R.  C, 

*McKean,  Miss  M.  H., 
McKinney,  Rev.  E., 
McKinney,  Mrs., 
Mann,  Mrs.  A., 
Mills,  Miss  Joanna, 


1851-1852 
1880-1882 
1882-1883 
1883 

1849-1850 
1878-1879 
1858-1859 
I 858- I 859 
1851-1852 
1851-1852 
1850-1853 
1850-1853 
1885-1887 
I 885- I 887 
1S44-1845 
1852-1853 
1S52-1S53 
■41-61; '80 
1842-1845 
,1846-1850 
1880-1887 
1886-1887 
1877-1880 
,1860-1861 
1860-1861 
1853-1854 
1878 

1856-1860 

1843 

1843 

1883 

1858-1861 


Aungie,  Miss  H.,  1880-1881 

Calhoun,  Miss  E.,  1873-1875 

Dickson,  Miss  J.  B.,  1878 
Lindsay,  Rev.  E.  J.,  1890 
Lindsay,  Mrs.  (Miss  N. 

Hunter,  18S0),  1890 

McCreight,  Miss  C.  C.,i88o 
Miller,  Miss  A.  L.,  1888 
Sterling,  Rev.  C.  G.,  1886 
Sterling,  Mrs.,  1886 


Porter,  W.  M.,  1886 

Price,  Miss  Mary,  1854-1856 

Ramsay,  Rev.  J.  Ross,i850-i852 

*Ramsay,Mrs.  JaneM.,1850-1852 
Reid,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  1852-1857 
Richards,  Mrs.  M.  E.,  1880 

*Robertson,Rev.W.S. '50-61;  66-81 

^Robertson,  Mrs.  A.  E. 

W.,  '50-61  ; '66-82 

Russell,  Miss  N.  C,  1873-1874 
Shepherd,  Miss  N.,  1850-1861 
Shepherd,  Miss  3.  O.,  1869-1872 
Smith,  Miss  A.  E.,  1886 
Snedaker,  MissE.,  1883-1884 
Stanislaus,  Miss  Clara,  185 2-1855 
Talbot,  Miss  Jane  H  ,  1857-1859 
Templeton,Rev.W.H.,i85i-i857 

*Templeton,  Mrs.  CM.,  1852-1857 
Vance,  Miss  Mary,  1860-1861 
Warren,  Marshall,  1886 
Welch,  Miss  Addie,  1884-1S85 
Welch,  Miss  Lizzie,  '  1885 
Whitehead,  Miss  L.  P. ,1884-1887 
Whitehead,  Miss  M.,  1885-1887 
Whitehead,  J.  P.,  1883-1887 

Whitehead,  Mrs.,  1883-1887 

Wilson,  Miss  A.,  1884-1887 

Wilson,  Miss  Mary,  1868-1871 
Worcester,  Leonard,  1868-1871 
Worcester,  Mrs.,  1868-1871 

Yargee,  Mrs.  J.,  1884 


1871-1893. 

Chapin,  Rev.  M.  E.,  1883-1885 
Chapin,  Mrs.,  1883-1885 

*Williamson,Rev.T.  S., 

M.D.,  1835-1879 

*Williamson,  Mrs.,         1835-1872 
Williamson,  Rev.  J.  P., i860 
Williamson,  Mrs.,  i860 

*Willianison,  Miss  N.J. ,1873-1877 
Wood,  Rev.  G.,  Jr.,  1880-1889 
Wood,  Mrs.,  1880-1889 


lOWAS,  1835-1865. 

Ballard,  Mr.  Aurey,  1835-1837  Donaldson,  Miss  L.,      1853-1864 

Ballard,  Mrs.,  1835-1837  Fullerton,Miss Martha  1855-1860 

Bloohm,  Mr.  Paul,  1845-1846  Hamilton,  Rev.  Wm.,  1837-1853 

Bradley,  Mr,  Henry,  1838-1841  Hamilton,  Mrs.,  1837-1853 

Bradley.  Mrs.,  1838-1841  Hardy,  Mrs.  Rosetta,    1838-1839 

Coon,  Rev.  S.  H.,  1845  Higley,  Miss  Susan  A.,  1854-1855 

Coon,  Mrs.,  1845  Irvin,  Mr.  Francis,        1841-1847 

piament,  Miss  Eliz.,  1864-1865  Irvin,  Mrs.,  1841-1846 


AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS. 


231 


Irvin,  Rev.  Samuel  M., 
Irvin,  Mrs., 
Lilley,  Miss  Mary, 
McCain,  Rev.  Wni., 
McCreary,  Mrs.  R.  B., 
McKinney,  Rev.  E., 
McKinney,  Mrs., 
Patterson,  Miss  M.  A., 
Rice,  Rev.  George  S., 
Robertson,  Rev.W.  S., 
Robertson,  Mrs., 


1837-1864 
1837-1864 
1864-1865 
i^S55 
1855-1864 
I 846-1847 
1846-1847 
1859-1862 

i857-i«59 
1S64  1866 
1S64-1866 


Rubeti,  Miss  Margt., 
Shepherd,  Mr.  E.  M., 
Shepherd,  Mrs  , 
Shields,  Miss  Cora  A., 
Turner,  Miss  A.  M., 
Washburne,  Mrs. 
Waterman,  MissS.  A., 
Welch,  MissC. 
Williams,  Mr.  James, 
Williams,  Mrs., 
Wilson,  Miss  Sarah  J. 


I 864- I 866 
1835-1836 
1835- 1 836 
I 8r 0-186 I 
1862-1864 
1865-1866 
1850-1854 
1865-1866 
1854-1864 
1863 
1855 


Cogan,  Miss  Hortense,iS58-i86o 
Conover,  Miss  Marv,  1857-1S58 
Honnell,  Rev.  W.  H.,  1856-1857 
Hubbell,  Mr.  E.,  1856-1857 


KICKAPOOS,  1856-1860. 

Hubbell,  Mrs  ,  1856-1S57 

Shields.MissMargt.J.,  1S57 

Thorne,  Rev.  A.  E.,      1857-1860 
Thorne,  Mrs.,  1857-1860 


NEZ  PERCES,  £871-1893. 


*Ainslie,  Rev.  George,  1872-1875 
Ainslie,  Mrs.,  1872-1S75 

*Cowley,  Rev.  H.  T.,  1871-1873 
Cowley,  Mrs.,  1871-1873 

Coyner,  Mr.  J.,  1873-1874 

Coyner,  Mrs.,  1873-1874 

Deffeubaugh,Rev.G  L.1878-1888 

*Deffenbaugh,  Mrs.,       1881-1884 


Deffenbaugh,  Mrs.,        1885-1888 
jMcBeth,Miss  S.L.,*'96;i873 
iMcBeth,  Miss  K.  C,     1879 

Martin,  Rev.  S.  N.  D. ,1873-1875 

Martin,  Mrs., 
*Spalding,  Rev.  H    H. ,1871-1874 

Spalding,  Mrs., 


Annin,  Rev.  J.  A., 
Aunin,  Mrs., 
Annin,  Miss  L.  A., 
Crane,  Mr.  W.  P., 
Crothers,  Miss  M.  L 
McElroy.Mr.  P., 
McElroy,  Mrs., 
Menaul,  Rev.  J., 


NEW  lyiExico  MISSION,  1868-1874. 

Menaul,  Mrs., 
Raymond,  Mr.  C.  C, 
Raymond,  Mrs. 
Roberts,  Rev.  Jas.  M. 
Roberts,  Mrs. 
Truax,  Rev.  W.  B., 
Truax,  Mrs., 


1871-1873 
1871-1873 
1871-1873 
1873-1874 
1871-1872 
.1871-1872 
1871-1872 
1870-1873 


OMAH.\S,  1846-1890. 


:Barnes,  Miss  M.  L,. , 
Betz,  Mr.  Joseph, 
Betz,  Mrs., 
Black,  Mr.  Isaac, 
Black,  Mrs., 
Bloohni,  Mr.  Paul, 
Bower,  Miss  Mary, 
Bryant    Miss  M., 
Burtt,  Rev.  R.  J., 
Burtt,  Mrs., 
Copley,  Miss  J., 
Copley,  J.  F., 
Copley,  Mrs., 
Diament,  Miss  N  , 
Pillett,  Mr.  Jamqs  C 


18^3 

I 860- I 863 

1860-1863 

1860-1867 

1860-1867 

1846-1847 

1866-1867 

1881-1882 

I 860- I 866 

1860-1866 

18S2-1883 

1884- I 889 

1885-1889 

I 863- I 865 

1853-1855 


Dillett,  Mrs  , 

Ensign,  Miss  Helen, 

Estill,  Miss  M.  S  , 
;Fetter  Miss  M.  C, 

Fullerton,  Miss  M., 
^Hamilton,  Rev.  Wm  , 
1853- 
*Hamilton,Mrs.,     '53- 
;Hamilton,  Mrs  , 

Hamilton,  Miss  Maria 
^Hamilton,  Miss  Mary, 

Higbee,  Miss  L., 
*Irvin,  Rev.  S.  M., 

Jennings,  Miss.  M., 

Jones,  Mr.  David, 


1870-1873 
1872-1873 
1872-1873 
1868-1873 
1868-1873 
1872-1873 
1872-1873 


1 853-1855 
1857-1858 
I 880- I 88 I 
1881 
1850-1852 

1857;  1867 

57  ;  '67-68 
1869 
, I85S-I860 

,'63-64;  '66 
1847-1849 
1880-1887 
1880-1882 
J852-1857 


232 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF   THE    MISSIONS 


Jones,  Mrs., 
Lee,  Mr.  S.  O., 
Lee,  Mrs., 
Long,  Mrs.  C.  W., 
*McKinney,  Rev.  Ed., 
McKinney,  Mrs., 
Mills,  Miss  Joanna, 
Partch,Mr.  H.  W., 
Partch,  Mrs., 
Rolph,  Mr.  J.  R., 
Rolph,  Mrs., 


Conover,  Miss  Mary, 
Conover,  Miss  S.  E., 
Guthrie,  Rev.  H.  W. 
Guthrie,  Mrs., 


1S52-1857 
1865-1869 
I 865- I 869 
1858-1860 
1846- 1853 
1846- I 853 
1865-1868 
1881-1884 
1881-1884 
185.7-1858 
1857-1858 


Reed,  Mr.  David  E., 
Robb,  Mr.  C, 
Robb,  Mrs., 
Selleck,  Mr.  C.  S., 
Selleck,  Mrs., 
Smith,  Miss  Emily, 
Sturges,  Rev.  C,  M.D. 
Sturgess,Mrs.  Sarah  J., 
tWade,  Mrs.  M.  C, 
Woodin,  Miss  Eva  M., 
Woods,  Miss  Mary  E., 


I847-I852 

1863- 

1864 

1863- 

1864 

1857- 

1858 

1857- 

1858 

1857- 

i860 

1857- 

i860 

.8157- 

■i860 

1882 

1886- 

1889 

I852-I854 

OTOES,  1856-1859. 

1857-X859  Hickman,  Rev.  Gary,  1858 

1857-1858  Lowe,  Mrs  Alexander,  1857-1858 

1858-1859  Murdock,  Rev.  D.  A.,  1857 

1858-1859  Steelman,  Miss  C.  A.,  1859 


Ball,  Miss  Dora, 
Shepard,  Miss  M.  A. 


SAC  AND  FOX,  1883-1889. 

1884-1885       JSkea,  Miss  A. 
,    I 885- I 886 

SEMINOI.KS,  1848-1887. 


1884-18S9 


Davis,  Miss  Elizabeth, 

. 18S5-1887 

Davis,  Miss  Susan, 

1883-1887 

Diament,  Miss  M.  A  , 

1S83-1887 

Gillis,  Rev.  J., 

1873 

Gillis,  Mrs., 

1873 

Junkiu,  Jas.  G.,  M.D., 

.  1885-1887 

Junkin,  Mrs., 

1885-1887 

Lillev,  Rev.  John, 

I 848- I 86 I 

Lilley,  Mrs., 

I 848- I 86 I 

SENEGAS, 

Ball,  Miss  Olivia  P., 

1886- I S88 

*Barker,  Rev.  W.  P., 

I 87 7-1 880 

Barker,  Mrs., 

1877-1880 

.Ford,  Rev.  G.,t 

1868-1875 

*Ford,  Mrs. 

1868-1875 

JHall,  Rev.  William.f 

1834 

Hall,  Mrs., 

1834-1882 

Lilley,  Miss  Margaret,  1855-1857 
McCay,  Miss  H.  J.,  1881-1883 
Powel,  Mrs.  H.,  1 883-1885 

Ramsay,  Rev.  J.  R, 

'56-61  ;  '66-87 
Ramsay,  Mrs.,  '56-61  ;  '66-87 
Ramsay,  Miss  M.,  1879-1880 

*Ramsay,Miss  Adaline,  1880-1887 


JRuncim^n.  Rev.  Geo.,  1S88 
jRunciman,  Mrs..  1888 

JTrippe,  Rev.  M.  F.,       1881 
tTrippe,  Mrs.,  1881 

*Wright,  Rev.  Asher.t  1820-1875 
*Wright.  Mrs.,  1833-1886 


*Cowley,  Rev.  H.  T. 


Boal,  Miss  Martha, 
Bradley,  Mr.  Henry, 
Bradley,  Mrs., 
Bushnell,  Rev.  Wells, 
Bushnell,  Mrs., 
Duncan,  Mr.  James, 
Fleming,  Rev.  John, 


SPOKANS,   1875. 

[875  Cowley,  Mrs. 


1875 


WEAS,   1833-1838. 

1S33-1834 

Henderson,  Miss  N., 

1S33-1836 

1834-1838 

Kerr,  Rev.  Joseph, 

1833-1837 

183S 

Kerr,  Mrs., 

1833-1837 

1833-1835 

Lindsay,  Mr.  F.  H., 

1835-1836 

1833-1835 

Lindsay,  Mrs. , 

1835-1836 

1838 

Shepherd,  Mr.  E-  M. 

,  1 834-1835 

1837-1838 

AMONG    THE    NORTH    AMERICAN    INDIANS.  233 

WINNEBAGOES,  1868-1890. 

tFindlav.Rev.  Will.  T.,  1887  Martin,  Mrs.,  1881-1888 

tFiiidlay,  Mrs  ,  188S  Wilson,  Rev.  J.  M.,       1868-1869 

Martin,  Rev.  S.  A.  D.,  1881-1888 

Books  of  Reference. 

A  Century  of  Dishonor.     Helen  Hunt  Jackson.     ;?1.50. 

Among  the  Piinas.     Rev.  C.  F.  Whitteniore.     50  cents. 

Annual  Reports  of  the  U.  S.  Commissioner  of  Indian  Affairs. 

Census  of  1890.     Volume  on  Indians. 

Dahcotah,  or  Life  and  Legends  of  the  Sioux.  Mrs.  M.  H.  East- 
man.    $1.50. 

History  of  Indian  Missions  on  the  Pacific  Coast.  Myron  Eells. 
$1.25. 

Life  of  David  Brainerd.    Jonathan  Edwards.     60  cents. 

Life  of  John  Eliot.     R.  B.  Calverley. 

Mary  and  I  ;  or,  Forty  Years  with  the  Sioux.     S.  R.  Riggs.    $1.50 

Our  Life  Among  the  Iroquois.     Mrs.  M.  E.  Caswell. 

The  Gospel  Among  the  Dakotas      S.  R.  Riggs.     ;55i.5o 

The  Oregon  Trail.     F.  Parkman. 


(16) 


Persia 


PERSIA. 

Persia  is  notably  a  Bible  land.  To  it  belonged 
The  Country  Cyrus  the  Great,  Darius,  his  son  Xerxes  (the 
Ahasuerus  of  Esther),  Artaxerxes,  Esther, 
Mordecai,  and  the  wise  men  who  were  the  first  of  the  Gentile 
world  to  greet  and  worship  the  Messiah.  When  Assyria 
had  led  the  Jews  captive  to  Babylon,  it  was  Persia  that 
humbled  that  power  and  restored  judah  to  her  native  land. 
With  her  people  the  lost  tribes  mingled  and  coalesced.  Of 
the  former  magnificence  and  splendor  of  this  kingdom  one 
may  even  now  gain  some  faint  impression  by  a  visit  to  the 
wonderful  ruins  of  Persepolis.  Beneath  the  surface  of  her 
territory,  too,  sleep  the  remains  of  Nineveh  and  Babylon, 
destined,  no  doubt,  to  yield  to  coming  explorers  many 
another  precious  secret  of  their  ancient  life,  which  shall  be 
also  a  confirmation  of  the  Scriptures. 

Persia  is  from  its  location  isolated,  and  must  remain  so 
until  traversed  by  railways,  an  innovation  which  apparently 
only  foreign  capital  and  enterprise  are  likely  ever  to  effect. 
At  present  the  nearest  point  that  can  be  reached  by  rail  is 
Agstafa  on  the  road  which  connects  the  Black  and  Caspian 
Seas,  two  hundred  miles  from  the  Persian  border.  Between 
the  two  rival  empires  of  British  India  and  Russia,  on  the 
highway  between   Europe  and  Asia,  Persia  sits  intrenched. 

The  area  of  modern  Persia,  though  only  a  fraction  of  the 
ancient  empire,  is  still  large.  It  extends  nine  hundred  miles 
from  east  to  west,  and  seven  hundred  miles  from  north  to 
south,  embracing  about  648,000  square  miles  of  territory; 
sixteen  times  as  much  as  the  State  of  Ohio.  Three-quar- 
ters of  this  is  desert  ;  and  much  of  the  remainder — even  of 
those  parts  which,  like  the  country  along  the  shores  of  the 
Caspian,  and  on  the  western  border,  are  exceedingly  fertile — 
is  but  sparsely  inhabited. 

The  basin  of  Lake  Oroomiah  is  a  splendid  region  of 
country,  being  well  watered,  having  a  climate  and  soil  hardly 
excelled  by  any  spot  upon  the  globe,  and  yielding  in  perfec- 
tion almost  every  product  of  the  temperate  zone.  On  the 
Persian  Gulf  the  country  is  low.  sandy  and  very  hot.  Along 
the  Caspian  Sea  we  have  a  region  tropical  in   its  fruits  and 


238  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

verdure.  Elsewhere  the  kingdom  presents  an  immense 
plateau,  with  pure  and  bracing  air,  with  mountains  breaking 
up  the  surface  in  all  directions,  with  occasional  beautiful 
valleys  and  vast  salt  deserts.  Though  on  the  whole  so  poor 
a  country,  dry  and  thirsty,  parched  by  the  drought  in  sum- 
mer, desolate  in  winter,  and  uninviting  to  strangers,  it  is 
nevertheless  passionately  loved  by  the  Persians.  A  thousand 
bards  chant  its  praises  as  "the  land  of  the  rose  and  the 
nightingale,  the  paradise  of  the  earth." 
-,.     p  This  takes  the  form  of  an  absolute  monarchy. 

jj^  The  King,  who  is  called  the  Shah,  or  by  the 

more  fulsome  title  Shah-in-Shah,  /.  e.,  King  of 
Kings,  is  restrained  by  no  constitutional  or  legal  checks,  and 
can  even  put  to  death  any  of  his  subjects  at  will.  So,  also, 
in  the  governments  of  the  twenty-five  provinces  into  which 
the  realm  is  divided,  the  high  officials  of  all  classes  exercise 
almost  absolute  power;  the  government  interposing  little 
restraint,  .so  long  as  the  yearly  revenue  of  about  $8,000,000 
is  realized.  Such  a  despotism,  and  the  consequent  insecurity 
of  life  and  property,  combined  with  the  fact  that  the  villages 
are  owned  for  the  most  part  by  noblemen,  who  become 
responsible  to  the  Shah  for  the  taxes,  and  who  practice  the 
most  cruel  extortions,  furnish  abundant  explanation  of  the 
slow  advance  made  by  the  country,  notwithstanding  the 
intelligence  and  industry  of  the  people. 

The  assassination  of  the  Shah  Nasr-ed-din,  May  ist, 
1896,  removed  an  enlightened  and  progressive  sovereign, 
whose  reign  of  nearly  fifty  years  brought  great  benefits  to 
his  people.  Our  missions  were  indebted  to  him  for  constant 
friendship  and  protection,  as  well  as  for  substantial  assist- 
ance. It  is  hoped  that  his  successor,  Muzaffar-ed-Din, 
whose  relations  with  our  medical  missionaries  have  always 
been  most  cordial,  may.  follow  the  liberal  policy  of  his  pre- 
decessor. 

It  is  interesting  to  remember  that  in  the  mod- 
The  People  ern  inhabitants  of  Persia,  the  direct  descend- 
ants of  the  ancient  Medes  and  Persians,  we 
have  the  remnant  of  the  Japhetic  stock.  The  Europeans 
and  Hindoos  have  emigrated,  but  these  have  remained  by 
the  ancestral  home.  And  so  it  is  not  strange  that  they  pro- 
nounce the  words  "  father, "  "mother,"  "brother,"  "daugh- 
ter, ' '  in  very  much  the  same  accents  as  we  do. 

Physically,  Persians  are  among  the  very  noblest  speci- 
mens of    the  human   race — "manly  and   athletic,   of   full 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    PERSIA.  239 

medium  stature,  fine  forms,  regular  Caucasian  features, 
complexion  dark,  hair  abundant  and  black  ;  well-formed 
head:  eyes  large,  dark,  lustrous;  features  regular  and  seri- 
ous ;  beard  flowing  ;  a  broad-breasted,  large-limbed,  hand- 
some person,  with  carriage  erect,  dignified  and  graceful." 
Now,  as  in  the  days  of  Esther,  they  are  fond  of  dress  and 
show,  being  courtly  also  and  polite,  and  even  convivial  ;  but, 
though  "  luxurious  in  their  tastes,  they  are  yet  hardy  and 
temperate,  enduring  privation  with  patience,  living  much  in 
the  open  air,  delighting  in  the  horse  and  chase  and  abhor- 
ring the  sea. ' ' 

Intellectually,  the  Persians  are  quick  of  perception,  fond 
of  discussion,  imaginative,  with  a  fine  memory,  showing 
aptitude  for  the  sciences  and  for  the  various  mechanical  arts. 

They  are  a  nation  of  poets  and  poetry -lovers.  The 
minstrel  in  every  village  is  often  surrounded  by  impassioned 
crowds.  Modern  Persia  is  in  that  state  of  culture  in  which 
minstrel  poetry  is  the  passion  of  all  classes,  and  quotations 
from  their  classic  authors  are  common  upon  the  lips  of  even 
the  rudest  peasants  and  shepherds. 

As  to  the  social  condition  of  the  mass  of  the  people,  much 
may  be  inferred  from  what  has  been  said  of  the  government. 
Their  condition  is  one  not  much  above  serfdom,  and  when  a 
village  changes  owners  the  people  are  usually  transferred  with 
it  to  the  new  master.  The  extortions  practiced  are  often- 
times pitiless.  The  serf- like  tenant  "  is  seldom  permitted  to 
furnish  his  own  seed,  but  for  the  tillage  and  irrigation, 
teams,  implements,  harvesting  and  garnering,  he  receives 
one-third  of  the  crop,  often  but  a  fourth,  or  in  case  he 
provides  the  seed,  one-half,  from  which  he  is  to  pay  his 
taxes  and  feed  a  set  of  hungry  servants  of  the  master,  em- 
ployed to  oversee  the  ingathering  of  the  crops.  Often,  too, 
the  master  takes  up  his  abode  for  the  summer  in  his  village, 
laying  the  poor  serfs  under  contribution  to  maintain  himself 
and  family,  servants  and  horses."  It  is  not  strange  that 
under  such  grinding  tyranny  famine  should  so  often  visit 
the  land  and  sweep  off  the  people  by  tens  of  thousands. 
The  only  wonder  is  that  the  people  thus  downtrodden  and 
crushed  have  preserved  any  traces  of  noble  ambition. 

The  average  dwelling  of  the  peasant  consists  of  a  single 
apartment,  with  floor  and  walls  of  earth,  while  the  roof  is  a 
mass  of  the  same  material  supported  by  beams  and  pillars. 
The  lando7ir,  or  oven,  is  a  deep  hole  at  one  side,  lined  with 
burnt  clay,  where  all  cooking  is  done,  with  dried  manure 


240  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

for  fuel ;  the  acrid  smoke  fairly  glistens  on  the  walls.  An 
opening  in  the  roof  answers  for  chimney  and  window.  In 
this  one  room  all  work,  eat  and  sleep,  usually  three  or  four 
generations. 

But  the  darkest  feature  of  their  social  life  appears  in  the 
place  and  treatment  generally  accorded  to  the  women. 
"  Man  is  the  tyrant  and  woman  the  drudge  of  all,  she  doing 
the  hardest  work  without  sympathy  or  love,  in  the  midst  of 
frequent  brawls,  expected  beatings,  and  ready,  when  oppor- 
tunities offer,  to  return  bitter  oaths  and  revilings. "  Any 
traveler  in  this  region  will  see  that  the  wives  and  mothers 
and  daughters  are  put  upon  the  same  level,  for  the  most 
part,  as  beasts  of  burden. 

You  can  see  them  in  the  mountains  carrying  heavy  loads 
upon  their  backs,  with  scarcely  strength  enough  to  drag  one 
foot  after  another  ;  while  just  behind  them,  mounted  upon 
his  ox  or  donkey,  rides  the  brutal  husband  or  father — here 
called  "lord" — taking  his  ease  and  enjoying  his  pipe. 
Buffaloes  and  oxen  are  cared  for  with  far  more  tenderness 
than  wives,  and  have  a  money  value  far  exceeding  theirs. 
Girls  are  not  considered  as  worth  educating,  but  grow  up  in 
wild  ignorance,  having  no  higher  ambition  than  to  be  mar- 
ried at  an  early  age  (twelve  to  fifteen)  and  to  be  the  mothers 
of  large  families  of  sons.  And  to  such  ignorant,  neglected 
creatures  have  been  given  for  centuries  the  care  and  nurture 
of  Persian  youth. 

Religion. 

But  if  we  would  be  intelligent  as  to  the  real  causes  of  the 
physical  and  moral  condition  of  this  interesting  people,  we 
must  glance  at  the  religions  of  Persia.  These  are  four  in 
number. 

The  faith  of  Zoroaster  was  the  dominant 
Zoroastrianism  religion  of  Persia  from  very  early  times  until 

the  conquests  of  Mohammed,  in  641  a.d.  It 
carries  us  back  to  the  time  when  the  Japhetic  race  was  still 
one  family  on  the  plains  of  Persia,  before  the  Hindoos  had 
emigrated  to  the  East,  and  the  various  tribes  which  peopled 
Europe  had  started  on  their  westward  course.  Says  Dr. 
J.  H.  Shedd  : 

"  There  is  much  to  show  that  the  faith  of  that  early  day  was  the 
worship  of  the  one  living  and  true  God  Such  are  the  breathings  of 
the  earliest  hymns  of  the  Zendavesta,  and  such  all  the  oldest  relig- 
ious monuments  of  the  Persians  attest.     The  high  priest  and  sage  of 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    PERSIA.  24I 

this  religion  was  called  Zaraihrusta,  a  word  taken  by  the  Greeks  and 
Romans  to  be  a  proper  name,  and  changed  to  Zoroaster.  This  pures 
form  of  worship  was  gradually  corrupted.  A  duahsm  grew  up  vUnch 
gave  to  an  evil  principle  a  part  of  the  powers  of  deity  ;  ^oxsXnvoi^rj 
Ld  the  heavenly  bodies  followed.  The  occult  sciences  of  the  W  and 
the  corrupt  mysteries  of  Babylon  were  grafted  on ,  s<.  that  the  religion  of 
the  Persians  in  the  time  of  Cyrus  and  Ksther  was  different  Iron  t  e 
original.  It  was  an  intermixture  of  idolatry  with  the  worship  ot  1  e 
God  of  Heaven.  Still,  the  Persian  faith  was  the  purest  found  outs  de 
of  divine  revelation.  As  ihe  Hebrew  among  the  Semitic  races  the 
Persian  among  the  Japhetic  alone  was  found  faithful  in  keeping  the 
Creator  above  the  creature.  It  distinguished  the  evil  from  the  good, 
and  referred  the  origin  of  evil  to  a  wicked  spiritual  enemy.  The  war 
waged  against  this  evil  was  real,  earnest,  unceasing,  and  to  result  1 
victory.  It  predicted  that  a  Saviour  should  come  at  last  to  abo  isli 
death  and  raise  the  dead.  And  it  is  instructiv^  to  observe  how  this 
fidelity,  though  so  imperfect,  was  acknowledged  of  Jehovah.  Ihe 
prophets  are  commissioned  to  utter  denunciation,  captivity  desola- 
tion or  complete  destruction  upon  Egypt,  Tyre,  Syria,  Nineveh,  Baby- 
lon and  the  smaller  nations  surrounding  Palestine.  Persia  is  a 
marked  exception  Two  hundred  years  before  the  event,  the  Lord 
predicted  the  birth  of  Cyrus  by  name,  calling  him  His  anointed, 
shepherd,  servant  (Isaiah  41  :  25-28  and  44 :  28).  He  was  raised  up  to 
be  The  deliverer  of  the  Jews,  to  subdue  their  oppressors  to  restore 
them  to  their  native  land,  •  saying  to  Jerusalem,  Thou  shalt  be  built, 
and  to  the  temple,  Thy  foundation  shall  be  laid.'  ,•  ^      oi      „ 

"  Cvrus  fully  acknowledged  his  commission  in  the  edict  2  Chron. 
.6:  23-'  Thus  saith  Cvrus,  King  of  Persia.  All  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth  hath  the  Lord  God  of  Heaven  given  me;  and  hath  charged  me 
to  build  Him  a  house  in  Jerusalem,  which  is  in  Judah.  God  counted 
the  Persians  as  most  worthy  to  rebuild  His  temple  and  befriend  His 
people;  and  while  all  the  other  nationalities  of  Bible  times  have  lost 
their  existence,  the  finger  of  the  Lord  hath  traced  the  bounds  of  Persia 
and  preserved  the  nation  and  the  race." 

This  system  continued  to  be  the  ruling  faith  of  Persia 
until  about  630  a.d.,  when  the  Persian  Emperor  was  biddeti 
by  "the  camel -driver  of  Mecca"  to  renounce  his  ancestral 
religion  and  embrace  the  faith  of  the  one  true  God,  whose 
prophet  Mohammed  declared  himself  to  be.  The  monarch, 
jusllv  indignant,  scorned,  the  message  and  drove  the  messen- 
gers from  his  presence;  but  ere  ten  years  had  passed,  the 
fiery  hordes  of  Arabia  had  driven  the  King  from  his  throne, 
and  within  ten  centuries  the  Mohammedan  religion  had  dis- 
placed in  Persia  the  honored  faith  of  Zarathrusta.  The  only 
adherents  of  the  system  now  left  are  some  five  thousand 
souls  in  Yezd,  a  city  of  Persia,  and  one  hundred  thousand 
Parsees  in  Bombay. 

This  is  the  faith  which  for  more  than  a  thou- 
Mohammed  ^^^^^  ^^^^.^  ^^^  swayed  and  cursed  the  millions 
anism  of  Persia.     It  has  existed  under  two  forms -as 


242  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF 

the  orthodox  or  Siuinee  system,  until  1492  a.d.,  and  since 
that  time  as  the  heterodox  or  Sheah  system,  the  peculiarity 
of  which  is  that  it  regards  Ali,  the  son  in-law  and  cousin  of 
Mohammed,  as  having  been  the  only  proper  heir  and  suc- 
cessor of  the  prophet,  instead  of  Abubeker,  Omar  and 
Osman,  who  are  regarded  by  the  Siinnees  as  his  rightful 
vicars.  It  is  wonderful  with  what  devotion  and  even  fanat- 
icism the  Persian  Mohammedans  have  championed  the  cause 
of  the  long-dead  son-in-law.  He  is  the  centre  of  their  system 
and  the  life  of  their  creed.  In  their  call  to  prayer  they  say, 
"Mohammed  is  the  prophet  of  God,  and  Ali  the  vicar  of 
God."  This  departure  from  the  regular  faith,  now  cher- 
ished for  four  hundred  years,  has  produced  much  contention 
between  the  Turks  and  the  Persians,  and  is  likely  to  be  a 
fruitful  cause  of  fresh  quarrels  in  the  years  to  come. 

The  situation  suggests  to  Dr.  Shedd's  mind  the  remark 
that  "Persia  is  the  weak  point  of  Mohammedanism,"  for 
the  following  reasons :  (i )  Because  the  Persians  themselves 
are  sectaries— not  the  defenders  of  the  orthodox  faith,  as  are 
the  Turks,  Arabs  and  Tartars,  but  the  enemies  of  it.  They 
turn  for  sympathy  and  aid  to  Christians  rather  than  to  their 
rival  sect ;  and,  being  branded  as  heretics  by  the  Sunnccs, 
they  are  more  accessible  to  the  Christian  missionary  than 
other  Moslems.  (2)  As  a  people,  the  Persians  are  more 
liberal  and  tolerant  than  the  other  Mohammedan  nations. 
Practically  there  is  more  religious  liberty  to-day  in  Persia 
than  in  Turkey,  notwithstanding  the  pressure  brought  to 
bear  upon  the  latter  country  by  Christian  nations.  It  is  an 
almost  unheard-of  thing  for  an  Arab  or  a  Turk  to  discuss 
his  religion  with  a  Christian ;  but  the  Persian  invites  it  and 
enjoys  it,  and  will  listen  patiently  to  all  you  can  allege  with 
reason  against  his  religion  or  in  behalf  of  your  own,  where 
he  is  not  in  dread  of  the  vndlah  or  priest.  (3)  It  must  be 
remembered  that  in  Persia  the  Moslem  system  is  divided 
against  itself  more  than  in  any  other  land.  The  people 
originally  received  it  under  compulsion,  at  the  hands  of  their 
conquerors,  and  with  a  vigorous  protest ;  and  they  have 
never  been  content  under  it.  New  heretical  sects  arise  from 
time  to  time,  which  are  as  fierce  in  their  opposition  to  each 
other  as  though  they  were  adherents  of  entirely  different 
systems.  During  the  last  thirty  years  the  whole  body  of 
Moslems  has  been  convulsed  by  the  new  religion  of  the  Bab, 
and  immense  numbers  are  adherents  of  a  mystical  faith 
which   antedates   the   introduction   of    Islamism.      (4)  We 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  243 

need  add  to  these  considerations  only  one  other  to  demon- 
strate the  weakness  of  Mohammedanism  in  Persia.  This  is 
the  utter  faihire  of  the  system,  during  all  these  twelve  hun- 
dred years,  to  do  anything  for  the  people  except  to  curse 
them.  It  offers  no  solace  for  life's  woes ;  it  knows  no 
sympathy  or  charity.  Its  priesthood  are  sensual ,  treacherous 
and  rapacious.  It  knows  no  God  except  a  metaphysical 
conception,  cold  and  lifeless.  It  denies  the  Trinity,  the 
Bible,  the  Incarnation,  and  fosters  formalism,  self-righteous- 
ness and  pride.  It  knows  no  heaven  except  an  abode  of  the 
grossest  sensual  pleasures,  and  represents  hell  as  consisting 
of  the  most  exaggerated  material  tortures.  Thus  it  has 
oppressed  and  degraded  the  people,  so  that  they  are  open  to 
discreet  missionary  effort  beyond  any  other  Moslem  popula- 
tion, and  results  have  been  realized  from  the  limited  work 
done  among  them,  altogether  beyond  expectation.  It  should 
be  added  that  while  the  mass  of  the  people  in  Persia  proper 
are  Mohammedans  of  the  Sheah  sect,  there  are  in  the  mis- 
sion field,  which  extends  somewhat  into  Turkey  on  the  west, 
over  a  million  of  Koords  and  Moslems  who  speak  the  Koord- 
ish  and  Turkish  dialects,  and  belong  to  the  Sunnee  sect  of 
Moslems. 

The  Christian  Sects. 

These  are  sometimes  spoken  of  as  "  Chal- 
The  Nestorians  deans, "  and  again  as   "Assyrians."     But  for 

neither  of  these  names  does  there  exist  any 
sufficient  warrant  either  on  historical  or  geographical 
grounds.  They  recognize  no  appellation  for  themselves  except 
"Syriani."  Their  chief  bishop  claims  for  himself  the  title 
of  "  Patriarch  of  the  East."  But  they  will  always  be  best 
known  to  the  world  as  "  Nestorians." 

When  Nestorius  from  Antioch,  being  Bishop  of  Con- 
stantinople, was  condemned  by  the  Council  of  Ephesus,  in 
tUe  year  a.d.  431,  for  his  alleged  heretical  opinions  regard- 
ing the  Person  of  Christ,  the  "  Church  of  the  East,"  with 
its  headquarters  at  Seleucia-Ctesiphon,  warmly  espoused  his 
cause.  They  were  consequently  cut  off  from  communion 
with  the  Western  Church.  Located  so  far  to  the  East, 
beyond  the  reach  of  the  persecuting  acts  of  the  Byzantine 
powers,  they  enjoyed  unusual  liberty,  and  used  it  with  en- 
thusiasm to  extend  their  faith  at  home  and  in  remote  lands. 
The  growth  of  their  church  is  one  of  the  brightest  and  most 
interesting  chapters  in   the  annals  of  Christianity.     By  its 


244  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

wonderful  missionary  enterprises  churches  were  planted  from 
Egypt  to  China,  and  from  north  of  the  Caspian  Sea  to  the 
southern  bounds  of  India.*  The  flourishing  church  in 
Persia  was  of  their  founding.  It  is  admitted  that  they  were 
more  numerous  than  any  Christian  Church  then  existing. 
Nor  were  they  conspicuous  for  their  missionary  zeal  alone. 
Their  schools,  where  Biblical  theology  and  medicine  were 
taught,  were  famed  throughout  Christendom.  And  when 
the  Arabs  became  the  patrons  of  science  and  learning,  these 
Nestorian  scholars  opened  to  them  the  lore  of  the  Greeks,  and 
were  allowed  positions  of  honor  and  influence  at  the  courts 
of  Haroun  Al  Rashid  and  other  Caliphs  at  Bagdad.  Under 
the  Persian  and  Mongol  rulers,  this  church,  eminent  as  well 
for  its  liberality  of  opinion  and  catholicity  of  spirit,  as  for  its 
aggressive  efforts,  continued  to  flourish,  despite  seasons  of 
severe  persecution.  But  towards  the  close  of  the  fourteenth 
century  a  terrible  storm  burst  upon  it.  It  was  then  that 
Timour,  or  Tamerlane,  emerged  from  the  far  East,  and 
swept  the  lands  occupied  by  these  Syrian  churches  as  with 
the  besom  of  destruction.  His  Mohammedan  zeal  added 
fury  to  his  inhuman  efforts  to  exterminate  every  trace  of 
the  Christian  faith.     He  was  far  too  successful. 

The  Patriarchal  seat  was  removed  from  place  to  place  in 
quest  of  a  safe  retreat.  It  is  probable  that  about  this  time, 
in  consequence  of  these  desolating  conditions,  large  numbers 
of  these  Christians  found  refuge  from  the  tempest  in  the 
secluded  fastnesses  of  the  inhospitable  mountains  of  Kurdis- 
tan, where  they  still  dwell.  Later,  many  of  them  ventured 
down  upon  the  plains  of  Persia,  where  they  have  since 
lived,  remaining,  when  practicable  in  villages  by  themselves, 
but  sometimes  obliged  to  mingle  with  the  Mohammedans 
and  to  accept  a  position  of  inferiority. 

In  the  sixteenth  century  there  arose  unfortunately  a  schism 
in  the  Church,  resulting  in  the  establishment  of  two  Patri- 
archs, both  holding  to  the  same  creed.  One  of  these  made 
Mosul  his  residence.  In  recent  years  a  large  body  of  this 
section  of  the  Nestorian  Church  has  conformed  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  is  known  as  the  "  Uniat  Chald- 
ean Church,"  under  a  Patriarch,  called  the  "  Patriarch  of 
Babylon."     But  in  the  earlier  division  mentioned,  the  larger 

*  In  China  in  the  province  of  Shiiisi  some  years  since  a  tablet  was  discovered 
which  gives  a  brief  history  of  the  coming  of  Nestorian  missionaries  to  China,  and 
their  favorable  reception  by  the  Kmperor.  For  several  centuries  their  influence 
continued,  but  persecutions  and  dynastic  changes  weakened  the  church,  and  it 
finally  became  extinct. 


THE   MISSIONS   IN    PERSIA.  245 

part  of  the  Nestorians  living  in  Kurdistan  and  Northwest 
Persia  accepted  the  Patriarch  Mar  Shimiin  as  their  head, 
who  established  his  residence  in  a  village,  among  the  Kurd- 
ish mountains.  His  successors  always  take  the  same  dyn- 
astic name  of  Mar  Shimun,  and  for  nearly  four  hundred 
years  have  made  their  home  among  these  lofty  crags  and 
precipitous  ravines.  Where  the  valleys  broaden  out  into 
wider  areas,  the  various  tribes  have  built  their  villages,  and 
through  the  centuries  have  maintained  their  naiional  exist- 
ence and  their  ancient  faith  at  serious  odds  as  against  their 
neighbors  and  foes.  The  most  important  of  these  village 
groups  are  Tiari,  Tkhoma,  Jelu,  Bas  and  Dis.  These  Chris- 
tian mountaineers  are  called  "  Ashiret,"  or  tribal  Syrians, 
while  those  living  outside  the  mountains  proper  are  called 
"Rayahs,"'  or  "  Rayats,"  /.  r.,  subjects.  The  Ashiret  are 
semi-independent,  and  pay  only  a  nominal  tribute  to  the 
Turkish  Government.  They  are  a  more  sturdy  race  than 
their  brethren  the  Rayahs,  found  on  the  plains,  whether  of 
Persia  or  Turkey;  but  the  latter  live  in  more  of  comfort  and 
culture  than  the  mountaineers  in  spite  of  Turkish  and  Persian 
ill-treatment. 

The  Syrians  on  the  plain  of  Mosul  are  known  as  ' '  Chal- 
deans," whether  the  larger  body  of  them,  who  have  con- 
formed to  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  are  under  the  spiritual 
jurisdiction  of  the  so-called  "  Patriarch  of  Babylon,"  or  the 
feebler  community  under  the  Bishop  Mar  Elias  Melus,  who 
have  strenuously  resisted  union  with  the  Roman  Church. 
The  Chaldeans  in  the  city  of  Mosul  are  many  of  them 
merchants,  fairly  prosperous,  as  things  go  in  that  part  of 
Turkey.  The  Rassam  family,  distinguished  in  the  English 
explorations  at  Nineveh,  are  Mosul  Chaldeans.  A  power- 
ful Roman  Catholic  establishment  in  the  city  affords  consid- 
erable protection  to  its  own  adherents. 

The  persecutions  to  which  these  people  have  been  subject 
for  centuries  from  Moslem  power,  constitute  a  most  pathetic 
record.  Their  condition  in  Persia  has  been  in  some  respects 
less  harsh,  but  in  Kurdistan  and  Turkey,  they  have  endured 
grinding  oppression,  and  even  terrible  massacres.  In  the 
recent  atrocities  perpetrated  upon  the  Armenians  of  Turkey, 
the  Nestorians  have  been  in  constant  fear  of  a  similar  fate, 
and  a  number  of  them,  including  a  bishop  and  some  priests, 
were  brutally  murdered.  Notwithstanding  centuries  of  ill- 
usage  at  the  hands  of  Mongols  and  Moslems,  their  literature 
bliterated,  e  xcept  a  few  manuscripts,  and   these  written  in 


246  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

the  ancient  Syriac  tongue — a  dead  language  which  only 
their  priests  and  deacons  can  read — this  old  Church  has  yet 
maintained  the  primitive  faith  in  far  greater  purity  than  any 
other  Oriental  Church.  They  have  clung  to  their  Bibles 
with  a  desperate  tenacity,  and  reverence  them  as  the  very 
Word  of  God.  They  tolerate  no  pictures  or  images,  no  cru- 
cifixes or  confessionals,  or  worshipping  of  the  Host;  but  the 
masses  of  the  people  are  very  ignorant,  degraded  and  super- 
stitious, leaving  the  care  of  their  souls  for  the  most  part  to 
the  priests,  and  having  no  just  conception  of  the  character 
and  work  of  Jesus  Christ.  They  look  upon  His  ministry 
simply  as  that  of  a  teacher,  and  see  in  His  tragic  death  only 
a  martyr's  end. 

The  Nestorians  number  about  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  in  all.  A  few  of  them  have  gone  to  Russia;  about 
thirty  thousand  of  them  dwell  in  the  plain  of  Oroomiah, 
while  the  rest  inhabit  the  Koordish  mountains  or  extend 
westward  into  the  valley  of  the  Tigris. 

_>.      .  Another  branch  of  the  Christian  Church  found 

j^jjg  in   Persia  is  the  Armenian,  the  nation  whose 

terrible  sufferings  during  recent  years  in 
Turkey  have  attracted  the  attention  of  the  world.  About 
60,000  of  them  are  residents  in  Persia,  where  they  are 
treated  with  more  consideration  than  under  Turkish  rule. 
It  has  been  said  of  them  up  to  a  recent  date  in  their  history 
' '  they  are  physically  of  good  stature,  strong  features,  manly 
bearing ;  industrious  and  frugal ;  loyal  to  their  religion  and 
to  their  nation ;  of  marked  ability,  adapting  themselves  to 
any  circumstances,  whether  of  climate,  social  or  political 
life  ;  very  kindly,  sympathetic,  affectionate  ;  with  an  element 
of  the  jovial  in  their  life ;  intensely  proud  of  their  history 
and  their  faith  ;  clannish  almost  to  the  last  degree,  refusing 
such  association  with  other  races  as  might  imply  the  loss  of 
their  own  ;  of  exceptionally  pure  morals  among  the  Eastern 
races  ;  intense  lovers  of  home  and  family  life,  and  hospitable 
in  the  extreme  ;  with  acute  minds  and  suave  manners,  they 
manifested  many  of  the  essential  elements  of  a  strong  nation. 
There  are,  however,  other  features  which  must  be  noted. 
They  are  grossly  ignorant  and  for  the  most  part  densely 
superstitious,  held  in  absolute  thrall  by  a  Hierarchy  bigoted 
and  overbearing  to  the  last  degree,  and  fully  as  ignorant  as 
the  people  whom  they  misled." 

The  Armenian  Church  adheres  to  the  seven  sacraments 
of  the  Roman  Church,  performs  baptism  by  triune  immer- 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  247 

sion,  believes  in  the  mediation  of  saints,  the  adoration  of 
imao^es,  and  transubstantiation,  and  administers  the  holy 
communion  in  both  kinds  to  laymen.  They  deny  purga- 
torial penance,  and  yet  think  the  prayers  of  the  pious  will 
help  the  souls  of  the  departed.  Their  name  and  some 
remnant  of  their  ancient  faith  survives,  but  their  ignorance 
and  superstition  and  spiritual  darkness  are  almost  incredible. 
Even  many  of  the  priests  can  scarcely  mumble  through  the 
appointed  prayers  in  the  dead  language,  and  often  cannot 
translate  a  single  word.  They  are  very  much  in  the  state  of 
the  Nestorians,  when  first  made  known  to  the  Christian 
world,  a  generation  ago — having  a  religion  of  mere  formal- 
ism, a  system  of  fasts  and  ceremonies,  knowing  little  or 
nothing  of  the  Bible  itself,  practically  thinking  of  Christ  as 
the  Jews  of  the  East  do  of  Moses,  or  the  Moslems  do  of 
Mohammed,  as  their  prophet.  Surrounded  by  Mohamme- 
danism, they  have  imbibed  too  much  of  its  spirit  and  morals. 

About  50,000  Jews,  remnants  of  both  the 
The  Jews  Assyrian  and  Babylonian  captivities,  are  found 

in  more  than  100  towns  and  villages  between 
the  Tigris  and  the  Caspian. 

Mission  Work. 

As  in  nearly  all  Eastern  lands,  the  Roman  Church  was 
first  in  the  field,  their  efforts  dating  back  to  the  fourteenth 
century,  when  they  were  rivals  of  the  Nestorians  in  seeking 
the  favor  of  the  Grand  Mogul.  Later  on  they  expended 
no  little  effort  to  proselyte  the  Armenians,  but  a  small 
church  in  Ispahan  is  the  only  existing  result  of  those  cen- 
turies of  labor. 

Modern  Protestant  Missions  date  from  the  beginning  of 
this  century.  In  1811  Henry  Mart)^,  passing  from  India, 
took  up  his  abode  in  Persia,  and  spent  about  eleven  months 
in  Shiraz.  Here  he  gave  bold  and  frequent  testimony  to 
Christ  before  the  Mohammedans,  and  even  the  bigoted 
mullahs,  and  labored  incessantly  upon  a  translation  of  the 
New  Testament  and  Psalms,  which  he  completed  in  about 
ten  months,  and  then  dedicated  his  arduous  labors  to  the 
Master  and  His  cause,  in  the  following  prayer;  "  Now  may 
the  Spirit  who  gave  the  word  and  called  me,  I  trust,  to  be 
an  interpreter  of  it,  graciously  and  powerfully  apply  it  to 
the  hearts  of  sinners,  even  to  the  gathering  of  an  elect  peo- 
ple from  among  the  long-estranged  Persians."     One  year 


248  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

after  entering  Persia,  he  left  Shiraz  and  proceeded  to  the 
King's  camp  near  Ispahan,  to  lay  before  him  the  translation 
he  had  made.     Let  him  tell  us  the  story  in  his  own  words : 

'•June  I2th  I  attended  the  vizier's  levee,  when  there  was  a  most 
intemperate  and  clamorous  controversy  kept  up  for  an  hour  or  two, 
eight  or  ten  oa  one  side  and  I  on  the  other.  The  vizier,  who  set  us 
going  first,  joined  in  it  latterly,  and  said,  '  You  had  better  say  God  is 
God,  and  Mohammed  is  the  prophet  of  God.'  I  said,  '  God  is  God,' 
but  added,  instead  of  'Mohammed  is  the  prophet  of  God,'  'and 
Jcsns  is  the  Son  of  God.'  They  had  no  sooner  heard  this,  which  I 
had  avoided  bringing  forward  until  then,  than  they  all  exclaimed  in 
contempt  and  anger,  '  He  is  neither  born  nor  begets,'  and  rose  up  as 
if  they  would  have  torn  me  in  pieces.  One  of  them  said,  '  What  will 
y  )U  say  when  your  tongue  is  burned  out  for  this  blasphemy?'  One  of 
i'lem  felt  for  me  a  little,  and  tried  to  soften  the  severity  of  this  speech. 
My  book,  which  I  had  lirought,  expecting  to  present  it  to  the  King, 
l.iy  before  Mirza  Shufi.  As  they  all  arose  up,  after  him,  to  go  some 
to  the  King  and  some  away,  I  was  afraid  they  would  trample  upon  the 
biok,  so  I  went  in  among  them  to  take  it  up,  and  wrapped  it  in  a 
lowel  before  them,  while  they  looked  at  it  and  me  with  supreme  con- 
tempt. Thus  I  walked  away  alone,  to  pass  the  rest  of  the  day  in  heat 
and  dirt.  What  have  I  done,  thought  I,  to  merit  all  this  scorn? 
Nothing,  thought  I,  but  bearing  testimony  to  Jesus.  I  thought  over 
these  things  in  prayer,  and  found  that  peace  which  Christ  hath  prom- 
ised to  His  disciples." 

The  next  European  laborer  in  this  field  was  the  Rev. 
C.  G.  Pfander,  a  German,  whose  brethren  had  a  flourishing 
mission  in  Shoosha,  Georgia.  He  visited  Persia  in  1829  and 
afterwards  sojourned  there  at  intervals,  leaving,  as  his  most 
important  work,  a  large  controversial  book  called  the  "  Bal- 
ance of  Truth,"  which  exhibited  the  comparative  evidences 
of  Mohammedanism  and  Christianity,  and  showed  the  great 
preponderance  of  the  latter.  This  book,  with  several  other 
treatises  on  the  Mohammedan  controversy,  is  still  doing  a 
good  work  among  skeptical  Moslems. 

Then  came,  in  1833,  Rev.  Frederick  Haas,  another  Ger- 
man missionary,  who  located  at  Tabriz,  in  northwest  Persia. 
He  was  soon  followed  by  other  brethren  from  the  German 
missions  in  Georgia,  which  had  been  broken  up  by  the  intol- 
ance  of  the  Czar.  Could  these  brethren  have  been  sus- 
tained, they  would  have  done  a  blessed  pioneer  work  for 
Persia;  but  unscrupulous  bigotry  held  sway  and  created  em- 
barrassments in  the  city,  so  that  they  were  recalled  by  their 
society  in  Basle,  after  four  years  of  labor. 

In  July,  1838,  Rev.  William  Glen,  D.D.,  a  Scottish  mis- 
sionary, entered  the  field.  He  had  already  spent  many 
years  in  Astrachan,  Russia,  on  a  translation  of  the  Old  Test- 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  249 

anient  into  the  Persian  language.  This  work  he  completed 
in  1847,  and,  combining  his  translation  with  that  of  Henry 
Marty n,  he  returned  to  Scotland  to  superintend  the  printing 
of  them,  and  at  the  age  of  seventy  went  back  to  Persia 
to  aid  in  circulating  the  Scriptures  thus  prepared.  These 
two  men  will  ever  be  held  in  grateful  remembrance  for  their 
labors  in  giving  the  Bible  to  the  millions  of  Central  Asia. 

In  1869  another  missionary  from  Great  Britain  entered 
the  country,  Rev.  Robert  Bruce,  D.D.,  who,  locating  at 
Ispahan,  awakened  a  deep  interest  in  the  evangelization  of 
Persia.  As  a  result,  the  Church  Missionary  Society  formally 
established  a  station  at  Julfa,  a  suburb  of  Ispahan,  in  the 
year  1876.  A  force  of  devoted  and  energetic  laborers  have 
made  this  a  strong  evangelical  centre,  full  of  promise  for 
the  southern  portions  of  the  Persian  empire.  They  have 
flourishing  schools  and  an  active  church  among  the  Armeni- 
ans, and  have  baptized  a  number  of  Moslems  from  time  to 
time. 

In  1886  an  English  mission  was  established  in  Oroomiah, 
under  the  auspices  of  the  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.  Its  work 
is  largely  eiucational,  and  its  especial  object  is  to  strengthen 
and  purify  the  old  Nestorian  Church,  without  changing  its 
organization.  While  it  has  enlarged  the  opportunities  for 
education  among  these  people,  the  pressing  of  rival  schools 
into  villages  large  and  small,  side  by  side  with  those  long 
established  by  the  American  missionaries  has  not  had  a 
healthful  effect  in  several  respects. 

.        .  In     1829,   Rev.    Messrs.    Smith    and    Dwight 

Missions  were  sent  by  the  American  Board  to  explore 

the  regions  of  northwest  Persia.  The  result 
was  that  their  hearts  were  especially  drawn  out  toward  the 
oppressed  Nestorians  on  the  plain  about  I^ake  Oroomiah. 
and  on  their  representations  the  American  Board  determined 
to  establish  a  mission  in  Persia  with  special  reference  to  the 
Nestorians  ;  and  so  for  many  years  this  mission  was  known, 
not  as  the  "  Persian  Mission,"  but  as  the  "  Nestorian  Mis- 
sion." In  1833,  Justin  Perkins,  a  tutor  in  Amherst  College, 
was  appointed  the  first  missionary,  and  sailed,  with  his  wife, 
in  September  of  that  year.  About  a  year  later  they  reached 
Tabriz,  and  in  1835  were  joined  by  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Grant.  • 

This  little  company  formally  occupied  Oroomiah  as    a 

station  November  20,  1835,  and  soon  proved  themselves  to 

be  possessed  of  strong  faith  and  unquestionable  zeal.     The 

career  of  Dr.  Grant  was  ended  in  a  few  years  by  death  ;  but 

(17) 


250  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Dr.  Perkins  was  spared  to  labor  with  great  vigor  and  useful- 
ness for  thirty-six  years.  The  instructions  given  to  these 
pioneer  workers  mentioned,  among  other  objects  to  be  kept 
in  view,  the  two  following  :  (i)  "  To  convince  the  people 
that  they  came  among  them  with  no  design  to  take  away 
their  religious  privileges  nor  to  subject  them  to  any  foreign 
ecclesiastical  power;"  (2)  "To  enable  the  Nestorian 
Church,  through  the  grace  of  God,  to  exert  a  commanding 
influence  in  the  spiritual  regeneration  of  Asia." 

Having  obtained  as  a  teacher  Mar  Yohanan,  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  Nestorian  bishops,  Mr.  Perkins  gave 
himself  to  the  study  of  the  common  language  ;  and  when 
this  had  been  mastered  to  some  extent,  the  first  formal  work 
was  undertaken — that  of  reducing  this  language  to  writing 
(which  had  never  yet  been  done),  and  the  preparation  of  a 
series  of  cards  for  school  work. 

The  first  school  was  opened  in  January,  1836,  in  a  cellar, 
with  seven  small  boys  in  attendance.  On  the  next  day 
there  were  seventeen.  That  school  was  the  germ  of  Oroo- 
miah  College,  which  has  since  sent  forth  scores  of  devout 
and  scholarly  preachers  and  teachers  among  the  people. 

Other  laborers  were  added  after  a  few  years.  In  1843 
Fidelia  Fiske  came  to"  take  charge  of  the  girls'  school. 
Vigorous  preparatory  work  was  done  by  teaching,  preaching 
and  printing.  For  ten  years  the  precious  seed  was  sown 
with  great  labor  and  many  discouragements.  At  last  came 
the  time  of  rejoicing,  when  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
was  manifest,  and  in  two  months  fifty  of  the  pupils  in  the 
schools  professed  their  faith  in  Christ.  The  gracious  influ- 
ence spread  into  the  surrounding  villages,  and  for  twelve 
years  there  was  an  almost  continuous  revival  from  on  high, 
bringing  hundreds  of  new-born  souls  to  be  trained  and 
taught. 

"  For  twenty  years , ' '  says  Dr.  Shedd , ' '  the  effort 
The  Retormed  ^^^   ^^  reform  the  Old  Church  without  in- 

Nestonan  ^    .  -^i   -^  •     ^-  j  . i.        •     • 

Church  terfermg  with  its  organization,  and  the  mission- 

aries were  slow  to  abandon  the  hope  of  leaven- 
ing and  remodifying  the  ancient  body."  The  separation 
came  about  at  length  for  the  following  reasons:  (i)  The 
patriarch,  at  first  friendly,  did  all  in  his  power  to  destroy  the 
evangelical  work,  and  to  compel  the  spiritually-minded  to 
quit  his  fold.  (2)  The  converts  could  not  long  accept  the 
unscriptural  oractices  which  prevailed,  and  for  which  there 
were  no  available  methods  of  discipline  or  reform.     (3)  The 


THK   MISSIONS   IN    PERSIA  25 1 

converts  asked  for  better  care  and  instruction  and  means  of 
grace  than  they  found  in  the  dead  languages,  and  rituals 
and  ordinances  of  the  Old  Church.  The  separation  was  not 
a  violent  disruption;  the  converts  were  first  invited  to  unite 
with  the  missionaries  in  the  Lord's  Supper.  As  the  village 
converts  increased  in  strength,  pastors  were  placed  over 
them.  In  time,  these  village  pastors  and  other  laborers  in 
the  reform,  Bishops,  Presbyters  and  Deacons,  met  in  con- 
ference with  the  missionaries,  and  adopted  a  simple  Confes- 
sion of  Faith,  with  a  form  of  government  and  rules  of 
discipline.  The  first  Conference  or  Knoosliya  was  held  in 
1862.  The  rules  then  adopted  were  enlarged  in  1878,  and 
again  in  1887.  In  1893  there  was  added  a  Church  Direc- 
tory with  forms  of  worship.  The  present  Church  book  has 
(i)  The  Confession  of  Faith  in  27  Articles,  and  the  Shorter 
Catechism.  (2)  The  form  of  government  providing  for  the 
guidance  of  the  local  Church.  (3)  Rules  of  discipline.  (4) 
The  Directory  of  worship  and  forms.  Tpj  Still  incomplete, 
are  canons  for  certain  matters  of  marriage,  divorce,  etc., 
such  as  are  essential  in  a  land  of  this  sort.  This  Code  of 
Laws  is  adapted  from  the  ecclesiastical  canons  of  the  Old 
Church.  In  this  reform  there  has  nearly  always  been  one 
or  more  of  the  Bishops  in  the  evangelical  communion;  three 
united  fully  and  died  in  the  evangelical  faith  ;  one  is  now  in 
living  fellowship,  and  others  are  friendly.  Over  seventy  of 
the  Presbytery  have  labored  with  the  missionaries  as  teach- 
ers, preachers  or  pastors.  Many  others  acknowledge  the 
evangelical  doctrines  to  be  Scriptural  and  salutary,  but  have 
various  reasons  for  remaining  in  the  Old  Church.  The 
leading  men,  including  the  Patriarch  and  his  family,  have  in 
many  ways  evinced  their  friendliness  to  the  missionaries,  and 
to  the  leading  men  in  the  Evangelical  Church. 

This  Evangelical  Nestorian  Church  is  now  organized  into 
five  local  Knooshyas,  or  Presbyteries,  three  in  Persia,  and 
two  in  Turkey  among  the  mountain  Nestorians  and  plain  of 
Assyria.  Unitedly  they  constitute  a  General  Knoosliya  or 
Synod,  which  forms  one  of  the  churches  of  the  Presbyterian 
Alliance. 

The  history  of  this  reformation  is  one  of  the  most  in- 
tensely interesting  anywhere  on  record  in  missionary  annals. 
It  has  been  the  spread  of  Pentecostal  power  penetrating 
hundreds  of  villages.  Out  of  it  might  be  written  many 
chapters  of  thrilling  incidents,  illu.strating  the  work  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  convincing  of  sin,  of  righteousness  and  judg- 


252  HISTORICAL  SKKTCH  OP 

ment,  and  chapters  of  remarkable  providences  in  ordinary 
labors  in  revivals  ;  and  also  during  the  prevalence  of  pesti- 
lence and  famine  and  war,  as  also  of  manifold  joys  and  sor- 
rows, in  perils  of  the  sea  and  land,  of  persecutions,  of 
robbers,  of  sickness  and  death.  Here  a  chapter  could  be  added 
of  excellent  and  eminent  missionaries,  men  and  women  who 
have  given  their  lives  to  this  work,  and  died  in  the  triumph 
of  faith.  To  this  could  be  joined  a  long  record  of  the  lives 
and  labors  of  native  brethren  and  sisters  who  have  gone 
home  to  glory,  whose  memory  is  truly  blessed.  Well 
might  the  venerable  Dr.  Perkins  write  as  he  bade  final  fare- 
well to  missionary  shores:  "Heaven  will  not  know  any 
higher  joy  than  the  joy  of  redeemed  Nestorians  in  the  pres- 
ence of  their  Saviour.'' 

The  Reformed  Church  has  steadily  gained  in  steadfast- 
ness and  in  aggressive  power.  It  has  developed  self-respect 
and  self-reliance.  It  has  made  material  advance  in  the 
matter  of  self-support.  It  is  organized  for  effective  Church 
work.  It  entrusts  many  of  its  executive  responsibilities  to 
a  Committee  of  nine,  called  the  "Evangelistic  Board," 
chosen  by  the  Knooshya  or  Synod,  for  a  fixed  period.  The 
oversight  of  its  educational  interests  it  commits  to  a 
"  Board  of  Education,"  also  carefully  selected  by  the 
Synod.  It  also  appoints  a  "  Legal  Board"  of  three,  includ- 
ing its  Moderator,  for  the  oversight  of  such  matters  of  canon 
law  as  are  usually  managed  in  the  Oriental  churches  by  their 
Bishops.  The  meeting  of  these  Boards,  as  well  as  the  regu- 
lar conferences  of  the  Synod  and  Presbyteries,  have  done 
much  to  impart  firmness  to  progressive  ideas  and  practices  in 
the  Church.  The  national  character  has  been  elevated  and 
made  more  robust  by  this  training. 

The  general  improvement  in  morals  and  modes  of  living 
is  another  practical  result  of  the  reformed  movement.  Pul- 
pits and  Councils  and  schools  press  on  the  people  a  higher 
standard  of  morality.  That  some  of  its  members  are  defi- 
cient in  some  of  the  virtues  which  Anglo-Saxon  Christians 
have  by  inheritance  is  allowed  and  lamented  by  the  Church 
itself.  But  the  standard  of  honesty  and  truthful  speaking 
is  higher  within  the  Reformed  Church  than  without  it. 
Total  abstinence  is,  though  not  enforced  by  Church  rule, 
the  all  but  universal  practice,  especially  in  the  ministry,  and 
this  in  face  of  the  fact  that  almost  everyone  has  his  vine- 
yard, and  wine  is  largely  manufactured  among  the  people. 

Then  again,  how  marvelous  the  spread  of  gospel  light 


THK   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  253 

from  this  evangelical  Church  into  regions  beyond.  Young 
men  filled  with  the  Spirit  have  lighted  the  flame  of  true 
piety  in  many  a  distant  place.  Two  Oroomiah  men  visited 
Bootan,  200  miles  away  on  the  Tigris  plain,  and  opened  the 
wa}^  where  whole  villages  have  since  been  evangelized.  The 
beginnings  of  the  work  in  several  of  the  mountain  districts 
and  outlying  regions  are  traceable  directly  to  similar  agen- 
cies. The  foundations  in  Tabriz,  Salmas,  Maragha  and 
Hamadan  were  laid  by  preachers  from  Oroomiah.  One  of 
these,  up  to  the  time  of  his  death  had  made  32  long 
journeys  to  distant  parts  of  Persia.  Another  is  at  the 
present  time  a  fearless,  successful  and  much-honored  col- 
porteur of  the  Briti.sh  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  in  PZastern 
and  Southern  Persia.  All  these  and  others  like  them  are 
humble  persons,  but  their  record  is,  "men  that  hav^e  haz- 
arded their  lives  for  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
But  wider  and  more  notable  has  been  the  influence  of 
another  worker,  who,  for  nearly  forty  years,  has  gone  to 
and  fro  in  Russia,  preaching  evangelical  doctrines  to  various 
classes  with  singular  devotion  and  fruitfulness,  in  connec- 
tion with  the  great  evangelical  revival  known  as  the  Stundist 
movement.  He  is  now  more  than  3000  miles  from  home, 
self-exiled,  preaching  the  gospel  with  apostolic  love  and 
fervor. 

These  incidents  go  to  show  a  real  revival  among  the 
Nestorian  Church  of  the  missionary  zeal  which  has  given 
their  forefathers  renown  in  the  records  of  the  Christian  faith. 

The  leavening  influence  of  this  Reformed  Church  upon 
their  Jewish  neighbors  constitutes  still  another  gratifying 
feature  in  the  history  worthy  of  mention. 

Bare  allusion  has  been  made  already  to  the  impression 
made  by  these  evangelical  Christians  upon  the  Mohammed- 
ans. There  is  abundant  evidence  that  the  all  but  adaman- 
tine surface  of  Moslem  antagonism  to  Christianity  has  been 
deeply  scored  by  the  diamond-like  force  of  a  higher  and  a 
spiritual  type  of  Christian  character  as  seen  in  these  their 
evangelical  fellow-citizens.  Christianity  stands  to-day  on  a 
vastly  higher  plane  in  their  estimation  than  it  ever  has  done 
in  the  centuries  of  their  mutual  contact.  And  in  spite  of 
the  almost  impregnable  barriers,  these  spiritualized  bearers 
of  the  Christian  name  are  constantly  proclaiming  the  claims 
of  Jesus  Christ  as  the  only  name  given  under  Heaven  where- 
by any  can  be  saved.  This  activity  of  theirs  in  the  vine- 
yard, by  the  wayside,  and  in  the  homes,  has  won  many 


254  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Moslems  to  a  genuine  friendliness  to  the  teaching  of  Christ, 
How  many  of  them  cherish  a  saving  faith  in  Him  secretly 
cannot  be  known.  Some  of  them  have  professed  Him 
openly.     Several  have  suffered  martyrdom  for  Jesus'  sake. 

In  1869  the  name  of  the  mission  was  changed  from  "  The 
Nestorian  Mission"  to  "The  Mission  to  Persia, "with  a 
view  to  emphasize  more  definitely  both  the  duty  and  the 
purpose  to  give  the  gospel  to  all  nationalities  and  classes 
within  the  kingdom. 

The  year  187 1  marked  another  epoch  in  this  mission.  At 
the  re-union  of  the  two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  the  United  States,  the  work  was  transferred  from 
the  American  Board  to  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Board 
of  Foreign  Missions,  which  continues  in  charge  of  it  to  the 
present  time. 

In  accordance  with  the  new  policy  of  expansion,  plans 
were  early  laid  for  the  establishment  of  new  stations. 
Teheran  was  occupied  in  1872,  Tabriz  in  1873  and  in  1880 
Hamadan  became  a  missionary  residence.  The  great  dis- 
tance between  some  of  these  stations,  the  difficulty  of  inter- 
communication owing  to  the  lack  of  facilities  for  rapid  or 
comfortable  transportation,  the  diversity  of  languages  and 
other  causes,  led  to  a  division  of  the  mission  in  1883  into 
western  and  eastern  missions.  Along  with  Oroomiah  and 
Tabriz,  constituting  the  western  division,  is  Mosul  ;  Salmas, 
so  long  occupied  as  a  missionary  station,  belonged  to  the 
same  mission.  The  eastern  mission  embraces  Teheran  and 
Hamadan. 


The  Western  Persia   Mission. 

The  wide  area  of  territory  covered  by  this  mission,  from 
the  shores  of  the  Caspian  to  the  valley  of  the  Tigris,  the 
diverse  populations  embraced  in  the  field,  and  the  confusion 
of  tongues  spoken,  present  here  more  than  the  ordinary 
number  of  difficult  problems  in  the  prosecution  of  missionary 
work.  They  differ  in  different  portions  of  the  field.  In 
Tabriz  the  effort  is  to  build  up  a  living  church  and  to  reach 
the  masses  of  a  great  city,  bigoted  and  intolerant,  and  to 
carry  the  gospel  over  a  wide  territory  to  Armenians  and 
Persians,  with  increasing  responsibilities  to  the  peoples  of 
the  Caucasus,  the  contiguous  province  of  Russia.  In  Salmas 
it  is  to  evangelize  a  large  rural  population  of  Armenians 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    PICKSIA.  255 

Strongly  enchained  to  their  ancient  superstitions  and  formal 
rites  and  ceremonies,  and  to  reach  out  to  Chaldeans  and 
Moslems.  In  Oroomiah  the  special  work  is  among  the  more 
plastic  Syrian  or  Nestorian  people,  to  develop  the  power  of 
the  native  church,  gathered  there  after  nearly  sixty  years  of 
missionary  efTort,  and  make  it  a  forceful  evangelizing  agency 
to  their  Moslem,  Armenian,  and  Jewish  neighbors.  In  the 
mountain  districts  of  Kurdistan  the  knotty  problem  is  how 
to  secure  the  entrance  and  growth  of  the  gospel  among 
almost  barbarous  conditions,  checked  by  Turks,  Kurdish 
chiefs,  and  independent  lawless  tribes  of  nominal  Christians. 
Farther  westward,  in  the  valley  of  .the  Tigris,  with  the 
station  of  Mosul  as  the  centre,  the  task  is  to  reach  up  into 
Kurdistan  to  the  Nestorians,  as  attempted  by  Dr.  Grant  50 
years  ago,  to  check  the  disastrous  influence  of  the  Church 
of  Rome  among  the  Chaldeans  and  Nestorians  of  the  plains, 
and  to  rescue  the  Yezidees  from  the  degradation  of  their 
senseless  Satan  worship. 

^         .  ,  This  important  town  in   Western  Persia  has 

Urmi  been  from  the  outset  the  centre  of  a  varied  and 

extensive  work,  which  now  covers  the  large 
plain  of  Oroomiah,  and  the  smaller  ones  of  Sulduz  and  Ter- 
gawer,  and  reaches  into  several  large  mountain  districts 
across  the  Turkish  frontier.  The  work  is  mostly  among 
Nestorians,  though  there  are  many  Armenians,  whose  num- 
bers have  recently  been  augmented  by  refugees  from  Turkey. 
There  is  also  a  large  Jewish  population  peculiarly  open  to 
Christian  teaching. 

No  work  can  openly  be  done  for  Moslems.  The  spirit 
and  law  of  the  Mohammedan  religion  forbid  it.  Still, 
Moslems  often  attend  the  preaching  services,  and  much  quiet 
efTort  has  been  put  forth  by  the  missionaries,  and  especially 
by  the  nativ^e  Christians  to  evangelize  this  large  class.  The 
medical  work  has  also  brought  great  numbers  of  them  in 
contact  with  Christian  teaching.  As  a  result,  a  considerable 
number  have  been  quietly  baptized  and  gathered  into  a 
Christian  church.  But  of  late,  there  is  increased  hostility 
to  all  efforts  looking  to  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  to  the 
Mohammedan  population. 

^         .  .  This  institution  was  originally  established  at 

College  ^^^*  ^^^^'  where  it   had  a   memorable  record, 

especially  in  powerful  revival  experiences, 
which  has  made  it  dear  to  very  many  hearts  and  lives  among 
the   Syriac   population   of  Persia.     It  was   there   that   the 


256  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

saintly  Stoddard  spent  the  few  short  years  of  his  marked 
missionary  career,  leaving  behind  him  a  name  that  is  fra- 
grant down  to  the  present  day,  of  lofty,  spiritual  qualities. 
After  him,  the  institution  was  chiefly  under  the  care  of  Rev. 
J.  G.  Cochran,  its  eminently  spiritual  character  continuing 
for  a  series  of  years.  In  1879  the  institution  was  for  a 
variety  of  considerations,  brought  down  from  the  mountain 
side  and  located  a  mile  and  a  half  outside  the  city  of 
Oroomiah.  The  grounds  are  ample,  and  include  a  hospital 
and  missionary  residences  aside  from  the  college  buildings. 
Of  these  latter,  there  are  two  main  edifices,  containing 
library  and  apparatus  worth  twelve  or  fifteen  thousand  dol- 
lars. A  new  building  has  recently  been  erected  for  the 
industrial  department,  which  has  been  undertaken  by  the 
Board  under  the  conviction  that  education  of  the  hand  as 
well  as  of  the  head  is  important  in  this  field. 

Since  the  reconstruction  of  the  college  in  1879,  with  its 
separate  departments  of  theology,  medicine  and  college  cur- 
riculum, no  young  men  have  been  graduated  from  the 
academy  course.  It  would  be  difficult  to  estimate  in  words 
the  influence  of  this  institution  in  the  advancement  of  the 
Kingdom  of  Christ  in  Persia  and  Kurdistan. 
■p.  ,  The  small  seed  from  which  this  now  large  and 

Seminary  flourishing  institution  with  its  nearly  200  pupils 

of  all  grades  has  sprung,  was  a  small  school 
for  girls  begun  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Grant  in  1838.  Its  history, 
like  that  of  the  College,  has  been  one  of  repeated  and  very 
powerful  revivals,  by  which  large  numbers  of  Nestorian 
young  women  have  been  brought  to  the  saving  knowledge 
of  the  I^ord  Jesus  Christ,  and  have  become  mouth-pieces  for 
the  truth  in  multitudes  of  villages  on  the  plain  of  Oroomiah, 
and  in  the  dark  recesses  of  the  Kurdish  mountains.  The 
high  spiritual  character  stamped  upon  it  by  Fidelia  Fiske, 
and  which  continued  under  the  administration  of  Miss  Mary 
Susan  Rice,  has  not  been  lost  in  the  years  which  have  suc- 
ceeded. It  is  now  graded  from  the  kindergarten  to  the 
normal  class,  and  the  work  which  it  is  doing  for  the  women 
of  Persia  cannot  be  over- rated. 

Village  ^^^   plain    of    Oroomiah   is    thickly   studded 

Schools  with  villages  of  Moslems  and  Christians.     In 

many  of  the  latter  are  found  the  largest  con- 
gregations which  have  been  gathered  under  mission  influence. 
Here,  as  well  as  in  the  smaller  and  more  neglected  villages 
and  hamlets,  scores  and  hundreds  of  village  schools  have 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  257 

been  established,  which  have  proved  centres  of  intellectual 
and  spiritual  awakening.  Thousands  have  here  learned  to 
read  the  Word  of  God,  and  have  themselves  become  agents 
used  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for  the  extension  of  evangelical 
truth  among  both  Christians  and  Moslems.  In  1896  the 
total  number  of  these  village  schools  reported  was  80,  and 
the  enrollment  of  pupils,  1720,  with  some  400  more  in  the 
dozen  or  twenty  schools  iri  operation  in  the  mountain  districts. 

One  of  the  first  needs  of  the  mission  was  a 
The  Press         supply  of    religious  literature   and   in   1837   a 

printing-press  was  sent  to  the  mission  by  the 
Board  ;  but  it  proved  too  unwieldy  to  be  taken  over  the 
mountains,  and  was  sent  from  Trebizond  back  to  Constanti- 
nople. Two  years  later,  the  invention  of  man  had  provided 
a  press  which  could  be  taken  to  pieces,  and  one  of  these,  in 
charge  of  Mr.  PMward  Breath,  a  printer,  was  sent  to  Oroo- 
miah,  to  the  great  wonder  and  delight  of  the  people.  The 
Scriptures  were  now  so  far  translated  into  the  Syriac  of  the 
Nestorians  that  portions  were  at  once  struck  off.  ' '  Some  of 
the  ablest  of  the  Nestor ian  clergy  had  aided  in  the  transla- 
tion, and  the  contents  of  their  rare  ancient  manuscripts  were 
now  given  back  to  them  in  a  language  which  all  could  under- 
stand. They  stood  in  mute  astonishment  and  rapture  to 
see  their  language  in  print ;  and  as  soon  as  they  could  speak, 
the  exclamation  was,  '  It  is  time  to  give  glory  to  God,  since 
printing  is  begun  among  our  people. '  ' ' 

The  type,  for  which  the  punches  and  matrices  were  made 
in  Oroomiah,  is  acknowledged  to  be  the  most  beautiful 
Syriac  type  in  existence,  and  is  adopted  by  some  of  the  first 
Oriental  publishing  houses  in  Germany  and  England. 
Rays  of  Light,  a  monthly  newspaper,  and  the  Sabbath- 
school  quarterly  lesson  papers  are  widely  circulated.  The 
Turkish  authorities  have  forbidden  the  circulation  of  the 
books  and  papers  in  Koordistan. 

In  1894  the  Syriac  Bible,  revised  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Benjamin 
Labaree,  assisted  by  able  Nestorian  scholars,  was  printed  by 
the  American  Bible  Society.  The  revision  involved  a  vast 
amount  of  labor  and  the  printing  was  a  work  of  extreme 
difficulty.  The  Bible  Society  is  entitled  to  the  thanks  of  the 
Syriac-speaking  world  for  the  admirable  style  in  which  the 
volume  has  been  issued. 

Physical  healing  has  always  been  made  prom- 
Medical  Work  inent  at  Oroomiah  and  has  proved  potent  in 

opening   a   way   for    the   truth.     The    West- 


258  HISTORICAL   .SKETCH    OF 

minster  Hospital,  built  in  1880,  accommodates  thirty  patients, 
and  under  the  efficient  management  of  Dr.  J.  P.  Cochran, 
aided  by  a  corps  of  native  assistants  trained  by  himself,  has 
a  field  of  usefulness  only  limited  by  its  inadequate  equip- 
ment and  resources.  The  Howard  Annex  for  Women  was 
added  1890,  and  is  under  the  immediate  care  of  Dr.  Emma 
T.  Miller.  There  are  two  dispensaries,  and  a  class  of  stu- 
dents constantly  under  instruction,  besides  much  outside 
practice.  ' '  The  sick  come  in  large  numbers  to  the  office 
every  day.  They  flock  in  by  sunrise  ;  some  on  foot,  others 
on  horses,  donkeys,  oxen,  or  on  the  backs  of  their  friends, 
or  borne  on  litters.  The  people  often  throw  their  sick  at 
our  feet,  saying,  '  We  shall  not  take  them  away  until  you 
cure  them,  or  let  them  die  here.  Our  only  hope  is  in  God 
above,  and  in  you  as  His  instruments  below.'  " 

Few  mission  fields  have  been  more  successful  than  that 
of  which  Oroomiah  is  the  centre.  And  as  for  the  lives  of 
the  servants  of  God  who  have  labored  there  Oroomiah  may 
challenge  the  world  to  produce  men  and  women  of  more 
exalted  piety  or  more  fervent  consecration.  The  names  of 
Perkins,  Grant,  Stoddard,  Rhea,  Coan  and  Fiske  will  be 
held  in  everlasting  remembrance. 

Many  more  names  might  be  added  to  this  sacred  list, 
among  others  that  of  Rev.  J.  G.  Cochran,  and  of  Mrs. 
Cochran,  who  was  called  to  her  reward  in  1895,  after  nearly 
fifty  years  of  service.  Dr.  J.  H.  Shedd,  who  died  in  the 
same  year,  had  been  identified  with  Oroomiah  for  a  genera- 
tion, and  was  revered  by  the  native  Church  as  "priest, 
bishop  and  patriarch,  all  in  one." 

The  men  now  attached  to  this  station  were  all,  with  one 
exception,  born  there,  being  the  sons  of  missionaries.  They 
have  in  consequence  a  perfect  knowledge  of  the  native  cus- 
toms, and  speak  the  languages  of  the  country  with  all  their 
idioms  and  imagery,  with  a  perfection  which  no  foreign-born 
missionary  can  ever  hope  to  attain. 

This  was  the  third  station  permanently  occu- 
Tabriz  pied  in  the  mission.     Rev.  P.  Z.  Easton  and 

Mrs.  Easton  and  Miss  Jewett  were  the  first  to 
take  possession  of  the  field  in  the  year  1873.  This  city  lies 
east  of  the  Lake  Oroomiah,  and  about  140  miles  by  the  road 
from  the  city  of  that  name.  It  is  the  great  centre  of  Euro- 
pean merchandize,  and  the  emporium  of  Persia,  having 
many  extensive  bazaars  and  caravansaries.     It  has  a  popu- 


THE    MISvSIONS    IN    PERSIA.  259 

lation  of  about   200,000,  principally  Moslems.     There  is  a 
small  but  important  community  of  Armenians. 

The  missionaries  have  encountered  more  opposition  here 
than  at  any  other  point.  This  is  in  a  large  measure  due  to 
the  more  fanatical  spirit  of  the  Mohammedans  in  this  town, 
though  bitter  opposition  to  evangelical  missionary  effort  has 
been  freely  instigated  by  the  Armenian  hierarchy  from  the 
fear  that  the  members  of  that  Church  shall  be  drawn  into 
the  Protestant  fold.  Time,  however,  has  wrought  sure  and 
notable  progress.  Evangelistic  work  has  been  prosecuted 
with  vigor.  A  strong  force  of  missionaries  has  been  main- 
tained there  year  by  year.  Prominent  in  the  agencies 
employed  have  been  well-equipped  schools  for  boys  and  girls. 
The  Mfiiioiial  School/or  /nn's,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  S.  G. 
Wilson,  is  organized  into  primar}',  intermediate,  high  school 
and  theological  departments.  In  1897  there  were  28  board- 
ers, and  the  total  enrollment  was  105.  Numbers  of  the 
young  men  here  educated  have  entered  the  Protestant  Church 
during  their  course  of  study,  and  several  have  become  valu- 
able workers  in  the  different  parts  of  the  field.  In  1891,  a 
fine  building  was  eriected  for  this  school  by  Mrs.  W.  Thaw 
of  Pittsburgh. 

The  girls'  school  has  a  handsome,  commodious  building, 
with  boarding  and  day  pupils.  It  has  had  a  successful  his- 
tory under  the  efficient  administration  of  Mrs.  I,.  C.  Van 
Hook,  Miss  G.  Y.  Holliday  and  Miss  May  Wallace,  and  has 
exercised  a  marked  effect  upon  the  schools  of  the  Gregorian 
Armenians  in  the  education  of  their  girls.  The  attendance 
fluctuates  as  the  opposition  is  more  or  less  severe.  At  the 
present  time,  there  is  a  larger  degree  of  friendliness  on  the 
part  of  the  Armenian  ecclesiastics.  At  the  last  Commence- 
ment Day  exercises  the  Bishop  himself  was  present,  much 
to  the  surprise  of  many  of  his  own  flock. 

Missionary  labor  has  resulted  in  the  formation  of  a 
church  in  the  city.  There  are  beyond  doubt  also  many 
secret  believers,  among  Mohammedans  as  well  as  nominal 
Christians.  Some  six  years  ago,  the  little  congregation  in 
Tabriz  was  presented  with  a  beautiful  church  building  by 
Mr.  Covington  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  in  memory  of  his 
daughter.  The  hostility  of  the  Armenians  around  was 
aroused  by  such  a  token  of  progress,  and  on  some  foolish 
pretext  the  authorities  suddenly  closed  both  schools  and 
church;  but  an  appeal  to  the  Shah  resulted  finally  in  the 
removal  of  the  ban.     The  church  now  numbers  some  60 


26o  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   Ol^ 

members,  with  a  large  Sunday-school;  the  services  are  con- 
ducted in  Armenian  and  Turkish. 

Itineration  has  been  carried  on  persistently,  the  women 
of  the  mission  taking  conspicuous  part  in  this  form  of  toil- 
some seed  sowing.  Quite  a  number  of  followers  have  been 
gathered  in  the  out-stations  of  Maragha  and  Miandooab, 
where  the  work  is  carried  on  by  native  helpers.  Miss  Jewett 
was  located  for  a  time  in  Miandooab,  two  days  distant  from 
Tabriz,  with  no  Christian  companionship  save  the  Armenian 
preacher  and  his  wife — a  position  of  considerable  exposure. 
But  this  sacrifice  of  personal  comfort,  bravely  made  by  her 
to  prove  her  affectionate  interest  in  the  people,  made  a  deep 
impression  on  Moslems  and  Armenians  and  won  for  the  story 
of  salvation  many  listening  ears. 

The  Rledical  Work  of  this  station  is  in  the  hands  of  Dr. 
Vanneman  and  Dr.  Mary  Bowman.  This  department  of  the 
work  has  done  much  to  counteract  the  hostile  measures  of 
the  unfriendly.  The  present  Shah  of  Persia,  during  his 
long  residence  in  Tabriz  as  the  Crown  Prince,  became  the 
warm  friend  of  Dr.  Vanneman,  as  he  had  been  of  Dr. 
Holmes  previously.  So  great  is  his  confidence  in  the  general 
integrity  of  character  as  well  as  of  the  professional  skill  of 
these  missionary  physicians,  that  the  Shah  on  his  removal 
to  Teheran,  entrusted  the  care  of  his  large  harem  in  their 
removal  to  the  capital,  to  Dr.  Vanneman,  and  bestowed  upon 
him  significant  attention  when  the  commission  had  been 
fulfilled.  He  strongly  urged  Dr.  Holmes  to  become  his 
confidential  physician,  an  honor  which  the  missionary  felt 
constrained  to  decline.  The  Rev.  W.  S.  Whipple,  for  many 
years  the  excellent  agent  of  the  American  Bible  Society 
in  Persia,  on  leaving  the  mission  in  1896,  presented  his 
residence  to  the  station  for  hospital  uses.  Some  finan- 
cial gifts  from  independent  sources  it  is  hoped  will  enable 
Dr.  Bradford  soon  to  open  here  a  small  hospital  for  women. 
In  1884  a  new  station  was  occupied  by  the 
Salmas  mission   in    the   district   of   Salmas   at    Haft- 

dewan,  nearly  fifty  miles  west  of  Oroomiah. 
This  district  is  the  centre  of  a  large  Armenian  and  papal 
Nestorian  population.  Much  missionary  effort  has  been 
expended  upon  the  numerous  villages  of  this  fertile  plain,  and 
some  little  churches  have  been  gathered.  The  new  station 
was  opened  by  Rev.  J.  N.  Wright  and  Mrs.  Wright,  aided 
by  young  men  from  the  College  at  Oroomiah.  Miss  C.  O. 
Van  Duzee,  long  a  useful  missionary  of  the  American  Board  at 


THK   MISSIONS    IN    PERSIA,  261 

Erzeroom,  Turkey,  opened  the  first  girls'  school  with  two 
little  girls.  It  has  developed  into  an  institution  of  no  small 
value.  The  station  was  subsequently  re-enforced  by  Rev. 
J.  C.  Mechlin  and  Mrs.  Mechlin,  and  Miss  Jennie  F,  McLean. 
Itinerating  and  school  work  were  pushed  with  energy.  A 
vigorous  church  is  growing  up,  principally  at  the  out-stations 
of  Oola  and  Khoi,  which,  with  the  out-stations  of  Old  City 
and  Guliezer  have  enjoyed  the  services  of  excellent  native 
pastors.  Bitter  opposition,  however,  has  often  thwarted  the 
best  endeavors  of  the  missionaries,  in  which  the  Armenians 
and  the  Chaldean  Nestorians  have  had  a  fairly  equal  share. 
In  1890,  Mrs.  J.  N.  Wright  was  murdered  by  an  Armenian 
who  had  been  employed  as  a  school  teacher.  The  vigorous 
pursuit  and  punishment  of  the  assassin  by  the  government 
created  much  ill  feeluig. 

Dr.  Wright  has  rendered  excellent  service  for  the  prose- 
cution of  gospel  work  among  INIohammedans,  in  his  revision 
of  the  Turkish  Scriptures  in  the  Azerbijan  dialect  as  trans- 
lated and  published  by  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
which  has  received  the  especial  commendation  of  that 
societ5^  Medical  work  has  been  carried  on  here  since  1894, 
by  Dr.  Yohanan  Sayed,  one  of  Dr.  Cochran's  pupils,  who 
completed  his  studies  later  in  New  York. 

In  1S95  the  village  of  Haft-Dewan,  which  had  been  the 
headquarters  of  the  Salmas  work,  was  rendered  almost  unin- 
habitable by  a  singular  rise  of  water  through  the  foundations 
of  the  houses.  It  was  found  best  on  this  account  to  with- 
draw the  foreign  workers  from  Salmas,  leaving  the  churches 
to  the  care  of  the  Persian  pastors  under  the  missionary 
superintendence  of  the  Tabriz  Station. 

From  the  foundation  of  the  missionary  work 
Mosul  in  Persia,  there  has  been  felt  the  need  of  more 

direct  and  hand-to-hand  work  for  the  Syriac- 
speaking  tribes  of  Kurdistan  and  the  Tigris  plain,  than 
could  be  rendered  from  the  missionary  headquarters  at 
Oroomiah. 

As  early  as  1841,  the  American  Board  occupied  Mosul  as 
a  station  from  which  to  reach  this  neglected  portion  of  the 
Nestorian  people.  Dr.  Grant,  one  of  the  heroes  of  modern 
missions,  died  at  Mosul  in  1844.  Other  missionaries  sent 
out  by  the  American  Board  labored  there,  and  founded  an 
evangelical  church.  Mosul  is  properly  related  to  Syria  in 
point  of  language, — the  Arabic — which  is  essentially  the 
same  in  both  fields  ;  but  there  are  numerous  Syriac-speaking 


262  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

villages  in  its  vicinity,  and  it  is  a  centre  of  political  and 
commercial  influence  as  regards  the  tribes  within  the  moun- 
tain districts.  Abandoned  as  a  mission  station  because  of 
its  unliealthfulness,  by  the  American  Board,  it  was  trans- 
ferred to  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Board  in  1892  and 
occupied  by  Rev.  E.  W.  McDowell  and  Mrs.  McDowell, 
and  Dr.  J.  G.  Wishard.  A  heroic  but  unsuccessful  effort 
had  been  previously  made  to  establish  a  station  among  the 
mountain  tribes  in  Tiary.  Rev.  J.  A.  Ainslie,  of  the  Ameri- 
can Board,  who  had  frequently  spent  the  winter  in  Mosul, 
was  transferred  from  that  Board  to  the  Presbyterian  Board, 
and  Miss  Anna  Melton  went  over  from  Oroomiah,  to  begin 
work  among  the  women  and  girls.  The  mission  has  from 
the  outset  encountered  persistent  opposition  from  the  Turkish 
officials,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  Mission,  strongly  en- 
trenched in  the  city  and  region.  As  yet  it  has  been  impos- 
sible to  obtain  the  necessary  official  permit  for  the  erection 
of  proper  dwelling  houses  for  the  mission,  although  the 
children  of  the  Church  at  home,  through  their  magazine 
Children's  Work,  raised  money  for  this  purpose  in  1893. 
A  desirable  site  was  purchased,  and  permission  from  the 
local  authorities  for  building  was  granted,  but  the  requisite 
permit  from  Constantinople  is  still  withheld.  The  mission- 
aries have  succeeded,  however,  in  renting  more  desirable 
residences  than  formerly,  and  in  securing  for  their  summer 
retreat  an  old  Kurdish  castle  on  the  banks  of  the  Tigris, 
which  promises  to  mitigate  materially  the  hardships  of  the 
Mosul  climate. 

The  Kurds  have  not  infrequently  lent  their  hand  in 
obstructing  missionary  work  in  the  mountains.  In  the 
summer  of  1893  while  visiting  one  of  the  Christian  villages 
near  Amadia,  Miss  Melton  was  attacked  in  her  tent  by 
Koordish  ruffians  and  barely  escaped  with  her  life.  Earnest 
appeals  for  redress  were  made  to  the  government  at  Con- 
stantinople by  the  American  Minister,  and  the  assailants 
were  finally  arrested  and  punished. 

The  preaching  services  are  faithfully  carried  on,  and  the 
schools  for  girls  and  boys,  but  the  work  is  greatly  hampered 
by  the  opposition  of  the  authorities. 

Dr,  Hansen,  the  medical  missionary,  writes: 

"  In  these  few  months  over  1000  cases  have  been  treated,  more 
than  half  of  them  Moslems.  A  Moslem  priest  was  among  the  first, 
and  when  I  left  to  attend  the  annual  meeting  in  Oroomiah,  prayers 
were  daily  offered  in  the  mosques  for  my  safe  journey  and  return." 


TIIK    MISSIONS   IN    PERSIA.  263 

Eastern  Persia   Mission. 

The  mission  to  Persia,  as  already  stated,  was 
Teheran  transferred  to  the   Presbyterian   Board  by  the 

American  Board,  in  187 1 ,  and  with  the  transfer 
there  came  an  nrgent  plea  from  the  missionaries  for  an 
enlargement.  It  was  felt  to  be  a  duty  to  embrace  within 
their  work  the  iVrmenians  and  Moslems  of  central  Persia. 
Accordingly  Rev.  James  Bassett,  who  had  reached  Oroomiah 
in  1 87 1,  made  an  extended  tour  the  following  year,  visiting 
Tabriz,  Hamadan  and  Teheran,  the  result  of  which  was 
that  in  November,  1872,  he  was  sent  to  occupy  the  capital 
city  of  Teheran,  where  he  was  warmly  welcomed  by  both 
Mussulmans  and  Armenians.  Here  is  a  population  of  200,000, 
most  of  whom  are  Moslems  ;  but  there  are  1000  Armenians, 
5000  Jews  and  several  hundred  Europeans.  The  two  lan- 
guages chiefly  spoken  are  the  Turkish  and  the  Persian,  the 
latter  only  being  heard  on  the  streets.  Of  this  field  Mr. 
Bassett  says : 

"  We  occupy  the  only  tenable  ground  for  labor  designed  to  reach 
either  eastern  Persia  or  the  Tartar  tribes  of  Turkistan.  The  Turkish 
language  spoken  here  enables  a  person  to  pass  quite  through  Turkistan 
to  the  birth  place  of  Tamerlane  and  Genghis  Khan,  into  Chinese  Tar- 
tary  and  far  to  the  northward,  while  the  Persian  makes  accessible  all 
central  and  southern  Persia,  through  Khorassan  to  Afghanistan,  and 
even  large  populations  of  India.  Central  Asia  has,  in  nearly  all  the 
past,  been  neglected  by  the  Church  of  Christ ;  the  result  has  been 
that  it  is  the  great  source  whence  have  proceeded  the  scourges  of 
mankind  ;  and  the  Tartar  and  Iranian  hordes  have,  age  after  age,  as  in 
great  tidal  waves,  quite  overflowed  Christendom,  overthrowing  its 
civilization  and  nearly  extinguishing  its  light." 

Teheran  is  not  only  the  central  point  from  which  to  reach 
a  vast  outlying  population,  it  is  also  a  rapidly  growing  city, 
and  the  vacant  land  within  the  twelve  gates  will  soon  be 
occupied.  The  importation  of  luiropean  ways  and  inven- 
tions has  been  considerable.  The  imitation  appears  in  the 
buildings,  in  width  of  streets,  policemen,  uniforms,  carriages, 
gas-light  and  post-offices.  The  country  at  large  remains  in 
the  former  condition  of  poverty  and  wretchedness. 

The  missionaries  are  bravely  laboring  to  secure  the 
needed  mental  and  moral  reformation.  In  1883  a  neat 
chapel  was  built  with  a  seating  capacity  of  300,  in  which 
preaching  services  in  Persian  and  English  are  regularly  held. 
The  work  for  women,  a  school  for  girls  and  also  one  for 
boys,  the  medical  and  publication  departments  are  all  as 


264  HISTORICAI.  SKETCH   OF 

vigorously  pressed  as  the  means  will  permit.  The  girls' 
boarding-school  is  called  "  Iran  Bethel" — the  Persian  Bethel. 
The  pupils  take  part  in  family  worship,  and  the  Christian 
girls  conduct  a  weekly  prayer-meeting.  Several  are  efficient 
Bible  teachers.  During  the  summer  an  industrial  school  is 
held,  which  trains  the  girls  in  sewing,  and  provides  the  nec- 
essary clothing  and  linen  for  the  household. 

The  Boys'  School  was  begun  on  the  same  plan,  but  it  was 
found  best  to  discontinue  the  boarding  department.  It  is 
now  a  day-school,  with  over  one  hundred  pupils.  These  are 
of  many  religions,  but  nearly  half  are  Moslems. 

Services  are  held  in  the  Jews'  quarter,  and  primary  schools 
maintained  for  their  boys  and  girls,  who  make  commendable 
progress. 

There  is  a  church  of  48  members,  with  a  good  building, 
erected  without  expense  to  the  Board,  the  late  Shah  having 
given  one-third  of  the  cost.  Moslems  attend  the  services 
unmolested,  and  some  of  them  are  almost  always  present. 
English  services  are  held  for  foreigners,  and  Armenian  ser- 
vices on  the  west  side  of  the  city. 

The  medical  work  in  Teheran  has  been  rendered  highly 
effective  under  the  supervision  of  Dr.  Torrence,  Dr.  Wishard, 
and  Dr.  Mary  Smith.  A  hospital  built  in  1892  was  enlarged 
in  1895  with  money  given  by  residents  of  the  city.  In  1893 
a  new  dispensary  was  built,  and  during  the  cholera  epidemic 
of  that  year  more  than  two  thousand  patients  were  treated. 

Much  evangelistic  work  is  done  in  Eastern  Persia  by 
tours  through  the  provinces  where  no  missionaries  are  sta- 
tioned. In  1895  Mr.  Esselstyn  made  a  long  journey  through 
Khorassan,  the  easternmost  province  of  Persia,  with  a 
population  of  500,000.  He  was  everywhere  courteously 
treated,  and  found  unlimited  opportunity  for  preaching  and 
distributing  the  Scriptures. 

Secretary  Speer  who  visited  Persia  in  1896,  writes  as  fol- 
lows of  the  situation  at  Teheran: 

"There  is  greater  freedom  for  work  among  Moslems  in  Teheran, 
and  for  a  Moslem  without  dependence  upon  others  for  service  or  sup- 
port, the  confession  of  Christ  is  easier  than  in  any  of  our  other  stations. 
There  are  obvious  reasons  for  this.  Teheran  is  a  city.  Most  of  the 
other  cities  are  villages  in  their  social  organization.  In  a  village 
every  man's  actions  are  open  to  the  eyes  of  all  ;  but  in  Teheran,  as  in 
our  own  cities,  a  man  may  live  an  independent  life  tolerably  free  from 
scrutiny.  Moreover,  the  larger  number  of  foreigners,  the  presence  of 
the  court,  the  general  commercial  movement,  the  larger  contact  with 
the  outside  world,  the  larger  population,  the  absence  of  the  small 
espionage  of  a  more  permanent  community,  the  more  intense  life,  all 


THE    MIS.SIONS   IN   PKRSIA.  265 

tend  to  an  enlargement  of  personal  lil)erties  and  a  liberty  of  public 
opinion  which  makes  it  possible  for  Mussulmans  to  seek  the  gospel, 
and  the  bearer  of  the  gospel  to  seek  the  Mussulmans,  with  some 
freedom.  The  houses  of  the  women  are  open  for  meetings,  and  Mos- 
lems come  in  throngs  to  the  hospital,  where  Dr.  Wishard  has  as  many 
opportunities  for  pressing  the  gospel  upon  them  as  he  possibly  can  use. 

"  Religious  toleration  of  non-Moslems  exists  here  to  an  extent 
surprising  and  illogical  in  a  Moslem  land,  whose  people  are  bidden  by 
their  Koran  to  fight  against  Jews  and  Christians  until  they  pay  tribute 
or  are  brought  low.  But  religious  liberty  does  not  prevail,  and  will 
not  until  the  prayer  which  the  missionaries  have  incorporated  in  the 
service  read  on  Sunday  afternoons  shall  be  answered  : 

"'Almighty  and  everlasting  God,  we  are  taught  by  Thy  holy 
Word  that  the  hearts  of  Kind's  are  in  Thy  rule  and  governance,  and  that 
Thou  dost  dispose  and  turn  them  as  it  seemeth  best  to  Thy  godly 
wisdom.  We  beseech  Thee  to  bless  Thy  servant,  Muzaffar-ed-din, 
Shah  of  Persia,  and  all  who  hold  authority  under  him,  and  especially 
those  upon  whom  new  responsibilities  may  come,  and  so  over-rule 
and  direct  their  actions  that  Thy  name  may  be  glorified  and  Thy 
Kingdom  advanced.  We  beseech  Thee  to  open  a  great  and  effectual 
door  for  Thy  truth,  and  to  establish  religious  liberty  in  this  land  and 
throughout'all  the  earth.  Grant  this,  O  most  merciful  Father,  for  Thy 
dear  Son's  sake,  Jesus  Christ,  our  Lord.     Amen.'  " 

This  ancient  city,  the  second  centre  of  the  East 
Hamadan  Persia  Mission,  is  supposed  to  occupy  the  site 

of  Ecbatana  (Ezra,  vi :  2),  the  place  where 
Darius  found  the  roll  with  the  decree  of  Cyrus  for  rebuild- 
ing the  house  of  God  at  Jerusalem.  It  lies  in  a  plain  6000 
feet  above  the  sea,  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Elvend  (the  ancient 
Orontes)  and  is  noted  for  the  tombs  of  Queen  Esther  and 
Mordecai. 

The  place  was  early  visited  by  colporteurs  from  Oroo- 
miah,  but  the  first  regular  work  began  in  1869,  when  Mirza 
Oohannes,  who  had  learned  of  Christ  in  Baghdad,  went  to 
Hamadan  and  began  to  preach,  assisted  by  occasional  visit- 
ors from  the  Oroomiah  Mission.  In  1872,  Hamadan  was 
made  an  out-station  of  Teheran,  and  in  1880  it  became  a 
regular  station. 

There  are  now  two  churches,  each  with  its  regular  services 
and  sacraments.  The  Armenian  congregation,  known  as 
St.  Stephen's  Church,  has  a  membership  of  103,  with  a 
large  Sunday-school.  A  church  was  organized  among  the 
Jews  in  1893,  taking  the  name  of  Peniel.  There  is  a  good 
attendance,  but  increase  is  retarded  by  bitter  persecution 
from  the  Moslems. 

The  high  school  for  boys  is  greatly  esteemed 
Schools  in   the   community,   and  more  room    for   the 

scholars  is  urgently  needed. 
(18) 


266  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OI*' 

The  Faith  H2ibbard  School  for  girls  has  87  scholars, 
mostly  Armenians.  A  society  of  "King's  Daughters," 
formed  a  few  years  since,  has  been  merged  into  a  flourish- 
ing Christian  Endeavor  Society,  with  many  members  out- 
side of  the  school. 

Nearly  all  the  Armenian  girls  of  school  age  in  the  city 
are  enrolled  in  one  or  other  of  our  schools.  There  are 
also  flourishing  schools  for  Jewish  children. 

The  Medical  Work,  under  Dr.  Holmes  and  Dr.  Jessie  Wil- 
son, is  faithfully  carried  on.  Religious  services  are  held  at 
the  dispensaries  every  week-day  morning  and  many  of  all 
classes  are  reached  in  this  way.  Two  medical  students  were 
graduated  in  1897,  givmg  promise  of  great  usefulness. 

Four  stations  are  occupied  by  Hamadan  help- 
Out-stations  ers  ;  Sheverine,  Kermanshah,  Armenabad  and 
Manezan.  A  church  has  been  organized  in 
Sheverine.  There  are  two  native  evangelists,  who  travel 
through  the  outlying  cities  and  villages,  and  are  generally 
well-received. 

Secretary  Speer  writes  from  Hamadan  : 

"  The  Hamadan  Armenians  are  the  best,  most  attractive  Armenians 
we  have  met  in  Persia.  Klsewhere  many  have  been  spoiled  by  aping 
foreign  ways,  by  following  the  nationalist  agitation  to  the  destruc- 
tion of  both  reasonableness  and  the  Kingdom  of  God,  by  petty  growl- 
ing among  themselves  and  with  their  friends,  by  a  small  pride,  and 
by  greed  of  gain.  Here,  they  have  been  remote  from  associations 
with  the  European  commercial  element,  and  have  buried  private  am- 
bitions in  the  common  interest.  As  a  result  they  have  exceptional 
privileges  and  advantages.  There  are  about  fifty  houses  in  all,  or 
two  hundred  and  fifty  people,  almost  all  of  whom  have  come  into 
external  connection  at  least  with  the  Evangelical  Church,  which 
has  the  one  attractive  building  of  the  place,  toward  the  cost  of 
which  the  Shah  gave  four  hundred  tomans.  In  breaking  with  the 
Gregorian  Church  errors  the  people  have  not  abandoned  its  good 
customs,  and  at  their  Christmas  season  (the  Armenian  Christmas  Day 
is  January  16)  the  whole  body  of  men  goes  from  house  to  house  call- 
ing, devoting  the  whole  week  to  friendly  and  consolidating  inter- 
course. 

"Some  of  the  best  fruits  of  the  work  in  Hamadan  are  Jewish 
boys  who  have  been  trained  in  our  school,  taught  medicine  by  Dr. 
Holmes  and  Dr.  Wilson,  and  are  soon  to  begin  work.  The  old  Jewish 
doctors,  who  have  had  most  of  the  medical  practice  of  the  city,  have 
been  very  open,  and  for  a  long  time  it  seemed  very  hopeful  that  they 
would  come  to  Christianity  in  a  body.  They  have  had  to  be  handled 
carefully,  however,  as  many  of  them  had  joined  the  Babis,  and  the 
Bab  having  given  his  followers  a  dispensation  to  dissemble  or  to  lie  in 
the  concealment  of  their  religion,  it  was  hard  to  detect  honest  from 
insincere  inquirers.     There  are  from  3000  to  5000  Jews  in  Hamadan. 

'  •  The  Hamadan  field  has  a  large  number  of  villages   and  cities 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA.  267 

assigned  to  it.  Its  bouudaries  ruu  from  Sehua  to  Siujau,  troin  vSinjan 
to  Karaghan,  from  Karaghan  to  Kashan,  thence  to  Khoramabad  and 
the  Turkish  border  as  far  as  the  point  where  a  line  from  vSinjan 
through  Sehua  would  meet  it.  In  this  district  are  eight  cities,  with 
populations  from  10,000  to  60,000,  and  scores  of  plains  full  of  villages. 
In  one  small  plain,  in  which  all  supposed  there  would  be  fifteen  vil- 
lages, there  were  fifty-one.  Dr.  Shedd  was  deeply  impressed  as  he 
came  over  the  same  road  we  traveled  to  Hamadan,  on  his  way  to  the 
Hamadan  Conference,  with  the  almost  innumerable  villages  passed, 
in  which  no  missionary  had  ever  stopped  even  an  hour  with  the  mes- 
sage of  the  world's  Redeemer." 

Of  the  general  condition  and  outlook  of  the  work  in 
Persia  Secretary  Speer  furnishes  the  following  impressions  : 

"  A  work  directed  toward  Moslems  only,  and  not  rooted  in  a  non- 
Moslem  community  would  not  be  tolerated  in  Persia  now.  Our 
work  in  Oroomiah  is  first  for  Nestorians,  in  Tabriz  and  Teheran  for 
Armenians,  and  in  Hamadan  for  Armenians  and  Jews.  With  all  the 
increase  of  religious  intolerance  and  fanaticism  which  is  felt  every- 
where out  of  the  capital,  and  in  enlarging  measures  there  also, 
there  is  an  open  field  for  work.  It  must  be  done  quietly  and  tact- 
fully, and  in  the  line  of  intimations  frequently  given  from  Teheran  ; 
but  the  Moslems  who  freely  accept  the  aid  of  our  medical  mission- 
aries can  not  and  do  not  refuse  to  listen  to  the  reasons  for  their  coming 
here.  In  the  cities  and  villages  alike  there  are  those  whom  God 
would  save,  and  there  is  access  to  them. 

"  The  Medical  work  has  an  almost  weird  power  in  a  Moslem  land. 
With  a  power  like  Death's  it  stays  the  lies  of  Islam.  With  the  power 
of  the  Life  it  lays  the  foundations  of  the  Truth.  Those  who  have 
called  the  Christian's  touch  pollution,  his  food  unclean,  let  it  lay  open 
their  very  hearts.  What  can  they  say  when  that  hand  has  brought 
healing  and  life? 

"  At  the  close  of  some  delightful  conferences  in  Hamadan  at 
which  we  were  all  as  one  band,  of  one  heart,  of  one  accord,  I  asked 
what  were  the  great  conscious  needs  of  the  station  which  they  would 
want  to  lay  with  longing  and  prayer  upon  the  prayer  life  of  the  Church 
at  home.  The  needs  they  mentioned  resolved  themselves  into  these: 
That  the  hearts  of  Moslems  may  be  opened,  and  that  they  may 
receive  the  truth  ;  that  the  ecclesiastical  system  of  Islam  may  be  shat- 
tered ;  that  religious  liberty  may  soon  be  secured  to  Persia  ;  that  the 
missionary  spirit  may  fill  the  native  Church  ;  that  the  '  mind  of  Christ 
Jesus  may  be  in  us.'  If  the  mind  of  Christ  Jesus,  who  was  the  Light 
of  the  world,  who  came  to  reconcile  the  world  unto  Himself,  who 
died  the  propitiation  for  the  sins  of  the  whole  world,  be  in  the  home 
Church,  will  not  these  requests  for  prayer  be  heeded  ?  Let  us  ask  and 
receive  in  behalf  of  Persia  and  the  missionaries  of  Persia." 


268  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

STATISTICS,   1897. 

Missionaries 59 

Single  women  18 

Native  assistants 276 

Churches 29 

Communicants 2,404 

Pupils  in  schools 0,285 

Hospitals  and  dispensaries 8 

STATIONS,  1897. 

EASTERN   PERSIA   MISSION. 

Tehkran,  capital  of  Persia  ;  population  225,000  ;  work  begun  in 
1S72;  laborers— Rev.  J.  L.  Potter,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Potter,  Rev.  S. 
Lawrence  Ward  and  Mrs.  Ward,  Rev.  Lewis  F.  Esselstyn  and  Mrs. 
Esselstyn,  Dr.  J.  G.  Wishard  and  Mrs.  Wishard,  Miss  Anna  Schenck, 
Miss  Cora  C.  Bartlett,  Miss  Annie  Gray  Dale,  Miss  L.  H.  McCamp- 
bell.  Miss  Mary  A  Clarke  and  Miss  Mary  J.  Smith,  M.D.;  3  out- 
stations,  I  native  pastor,  i  licentiate,  2  native  traveling  evangelists 
and  about  23  other  native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Hamadan,  200  miles  southwest  of  Teheran  ;  population  40,000  ; 
occupied  in  1880;  laborers — Rev.  James  W.  Hawkesand  Mrs.  Hawkes, 
Rev.  J.  G.  Watson  and  Mrs.  Watson,  Dr.  G.  W.  Holmes  and  Mrs. 
Holmes,  Misss  Annie  Montgomery,  Miss  Charlotte  G.  Montgomery, 
Miss  Sue  S.  Lienbach  and  Miss  Jessie  C.  Wilson,  M.D.;  3  out-stations, 
I  native  pastor,  2  native  traveling  evangelists,  and  about  22  other 
native  teachers  and  helpers. 

WESTERN   PERSIA   MISSION. 

Oroomiah,  4S0  miles  north-of-west  from  Teheran  ;.  the  capital; 
station  begun  under  the  American  Board,  1835  ;  transferred  to  this 
Board  in  1871  ;  laborers — Rev.  Benj.  Labaree,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Labaree, 
J.  P.  Cochran,  M.D.,  Rev.  F.  G.  Coan  and  Mrs.  Coan,  Rev.  W.  A. 
Shedd  and  Mrs.  Shedd,  Rev.  B.  W.  Labaree  and  Mrs.  Labaree,  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  C.  S.  Blackburn,  Miss  M.  K.  Van  Duzee,  Miss  E.  T.  Miller, 
M.D.,  Miss  H.  L.  Medbury  and  Miss  G.  G.  Russell ;  61  out-stations, 
36  native  preachers,  30  licentiates,  106  teachers  and  helpers. 

Tabriz,  nearly  360  miles  north-of-west  from  Teheran ;  station 
begun  1S73  ;  laborers — Rev.  J.  N.  Wright  and  Mrs  Wright,  Rev.  S.  G. 
Wilson  and  Mrs.  Wilson,  Rev.  Turner  G.  Brashear  and  Mrs.  Brashear, 
Wm.  S.  Vanneman,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Vanueman,  Miss  Mary  Jewett, 
Miss  G.  Y.  Holliday,  Miss  M.  E.  Bradford,  M.  D.  and  Miss  M.  A. 
Demuth  ;  6  out-stations,  i  native  preacher,  7  licentiates,  and  11  native 
teachers  and  helpers. 

Mosul,  opened  in  1889 ;  laborers— Rev.  E.  W.  McDowell  and 
Mrs.  McDowell,  Rev.  J.  A.  Ainslie  and  Mrs.  Aiuslie,  C.  C.  Hansen, 
M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Hansen,  Miss  Anna  Melton  and  Miss  Jennie  F. 
McLean ;  13  out-stations,  5  native  preachers,  9  licentiates,  and  24 
teachers  and  helpers. 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   PERSIA. 


269 


INIlSSIONARlKS    IN    PKRSIA,    1871-1897. 

*  Died.     tTrausfericd  from  the  Aniericau  Hoard.     Figures,  Term  of  Ser^ 
the  Field. 


tAinslie,  Rev.  J.  A., 

18S1 

fAiuslie,  Mrs., 

1881 

Alexander,  E.W.,M.D 

.1882- 

1892 

Alexander,  Mrs., 

1882- 

1892 

Allen,  Mr.  E.  T., 

1S91- 

1897 

Bartlett,  Miss  C.  G., 

1882 

Ba.ssett,  Rev.  J., 

1871- 

1884 

Bassett,  Mrs., 

1871- 

1S84 

Bassett,  Miss  S.  J., 

1875- 

1S88 

Blackburn,  Rev.  C.  S. 

,1896 

Blackburn,  Mrs., 

1896 

Bradford,      Mary     E. 

, 

M  D., 

1 888 

Brashear,  Rev.  T.  G., 

1890 

Brashear,  Mrs., 

1890 

Carev,  Miss  A., 

1880- 

1S83 

Clarke,  Miss  M.  A., 

'8o-'84; 

1892 

*Coan,  Rev.  G.  W.,t 

1849- 

1879 

*Coan,  Mrs., 

1849- 

1879 

Coan,  Rev.  F.  G., 

1885 

Coan,  Mrs., 

1885 

*Cochran,  Rev.  J.  G.,t 

1847- 

1871 

*Cochran,  Mrs., 

1847- 

1893 

Cochran,  J.  P.,  M.D., 

1878 

*Cochran,  Mrs., 

1878- 

1895 

Cochran,  Miss  K., 

1S71- 

1S75 

Cochran,  Miss  E.  G., 

1885- 

1888 

Dale,  Miss  A.  G., 

1885 

Dean,  Miss  N.  J., 

1860- 

1892 

Demulh,  Miss  M.  A., 

1895 

Easton,  Rev.  P.  Z.,t 

1873- 

1879 

Eastou,  Mrs., 

1873- 

1879 

Esselstyn,  Rev.  L.  F., 

1887 

Esselstyn,  Mrs., 

1887 

Green,  Miss  M.  W., 

1889-1892 

Hansen,  C.  C,  M.D., 

1895 

Hansen,  Mrs.  (Miss  L 

Reinhart,  M.D  ,'94) 

1895 

Hargrave,  Mr.  A.  A., 

1883- 

1887 

Hargrave,   Mrs.    (Miss 

M.  J.  Moore,  1884) 

1885 

Hawkes,  Rev.  J.  W., 

1880 

Hawkcs,  Mrs.  (Miss  B 

Sherwood,   1883), 

1884 

Holliday,  Miss  G.  Y., 

1883 

Holmes,  G   W. ,  M.D. 

1874-1877 ; 

1881 

*Holnies,  Mrs., 

1874-1877 ; 

1881- 

1890 

Holmes,  Mrs., 
Hunter,  Miss  Adeline, 
Jcwett,  MissM  , 
Labaree,  Rev.  B.,t 
Labaree,  Mrs., 
Labaree,  Rev.  Benj.W. 
Labaree,  Mrs., 
Lienbach,  Miss  S.  S., 
McCampbell,MissL  H. 
McDowell,  Rev.  E.W., 
McDowell,  Mrs., 
McLean,  Miss.  J.  F., 
Mechlin,  Rev.  J.  C, 
Mechlin,  Mrs., 
Medbery,  Miss  H.  L- , 
Melton,  Miss  Anna, 
Miller,  Emma  T., M.D. 
Montgomery,  Miss  A., 
Montgomery,  Miss  C, 
Morgan,  Miss  Maria, 
Oldfathcr,  Rev.  J.  M., 
Oldfather,  Mrs., 
Poage,  Miss  A    E., 
Porter,  Rev.  T.  J., 
Porter,  Mrs., 
Potter,Rev.  J.L.,D.D., 
Potter,  Mrs., 
Roberts,  Miss  Emma, 
Rogers,  Rev.  J.  E., 
Rogers,  Mrs., 
Russell,  Miss  G.  G., 
Schenck,  Miss  Anna, 

*Scott  Rev.  D., 
Scott,  Mrs., 

*Shedd,  RevJ.  H.,  f 
Shedd,  Mrs., 
Shedd,  W.  A., 
Shedd,  Mrs., 
Smith,  MaryJ.,M.D., 
Stocking,  Rev.  W.  R., 

*Stocking,  Mrs., 
Storking,  Mrs., 
St.  Pierre,  Rev.  E.W., 
St.  Pierre,  Mrs., 
Torrence,W.W.,M.D., 
Torrence,  Mrs., 
Vanneman,  W.  S., 

M.D., 
Vanneman,  Mrs., 
Van  Duzee,Miss  M.  K., 


L893 

889-1893 
871 
860 
860 
893 
893 
891 
891 

887-1896 
887-1896 
892 

887-1896 
887-1896 
892 
888 
891 
882 
886 

885-1889 
S72-1890 
S72-1890 
875-18S0 
884-1885 
884- I 885 
874 
874 

887-1889 
882-1885 
882-1885 
891 
877 

877-1879 
877-1879 
859-1895 
859-1895 
887-1S88 
894 
889 

871-1879 
871-1S72 
873-1879 
887-1895 
887-1895 
881-1888 
881-1888 

890 
890 
875 


270      HISTORICAIv  SKUTCH  OF  THE- MISSIONS  IN  PERSIA. 


Van  Duzee,  Miss  C.  O. 

,  1 886- 1 897 

Whipple,  Mrs., 

1872-1879 

Van  Hook,  Mrs.  L.  C. 

,  1876-1894 

Wilson,  Rev.  S.  G., 

1S80 

Van  Norden,  Rev.  T. 

Wilson,  Mrs., 

1886 

L.,t 

1S66-1873 

Wilson,  Miss  J.  C, 

Van  Norden,  Mrs., 

1866-1873 

M.D., 

1892 

Wallace,  Miss  M., 

1S94-1897 

Wishard,J.  G.,  M.D. 

,  1889 

Ward,  Rev.  S.  L., 

1876-1896 

Wishard,  Mrs., 

1892 

Ward,  Mrs., 

1876-1596 

Wright,  Rev.  J.  N., 

1878 

Watson,  Rev.  J.  G., 

1888 

*Wright,  Mrs., 

1878 

Watson.  Mrs., 

1 888 

*Wright,  Mrs., 

1887-1890 

Whipple,  Rev.  W.  L. ,  1872-1879        Wright,  Mrs. 


1892 


Books  of  Reference. 


A  Tennesseean  in  Persia.     Life  of  Samuel  D.  Rhea.     $1.50 

Doctor  A.  Grant  and  His  Mountain  Nestorians.     T.  Laurie.    $1.50. 

In  the  Land  of  the  Lion  and  the  Sun.     C.  J.  Wills.     14s. 

Henry  Martyn,  Saint  and  Scholar.     George  Smith,  L.L.D.     $3  50. 

Journeys  in  Persia  and  Kurdistan.     Mrs.  T.  L.  Bird  Bishop. 

Life  of  Rev.  Justin  Perkins,  D.D.     30  cents. 

Missionary  Life  in  Persia.    J.  Perkins.     $1.00. 

Persia  and  the  Persian  Question.     Hon.  G.  W.  Curzon.     |;i2.oo. 

Persia  and  the  Persians.     S.  W.  Benjamin. 

Persia:  the  Eastern  Mission.    J.  Bassett.     $125. 

Persian  Life  and  Customs.     Rev.  S.  G.  Wilson,     fi.75. 

Story  of  a  Consecrated  Life.     (Memoirs  of  Fidelia  Fiske.) 

The  Story  of  Persia,     (Story  of  Nations  Series.)     f  1.50. 

Woman  and  Her  Saviour  in  Persia.     T.  Laurie.     ^1.25. 


Siam  and  Laos 


MALAY  PENINSULA 


SIAM. 


China  and  India  are  far  more  widely  known  than  Indo- 
China,  which  lies  between  the  two,  in  the  extreme  southeast 
corner  of  Asia.  Siam  occupies  the  central  and  larger  part 
of  this  region,  with  Burmah  on  the  west  and  Cochin  China 
on  the  east,  including  also  most  of  the  long,  narrow  Malayan 
peninsula  which  juts  out  from  the  mainland  and  forms  the 
sharply- defined  corner  of  the  continent. 

The  limits  of  the  tributary  States  on  the  north  have  varied 
much  at  different  times.  In  1893  the  French  Government 
laid  claim  to  a  large  region  on  the  eastern  frontier,  and 
enforced  its  demands  by  an  attack  on  Bangkok.  The  war 
was  ended  by  a  treaty  which  reduced  the  area  of  Siam  to 
about  200,000  square  miles. 

Most  of  the  country  is  a  low-lying  plain,  completely 
overflowed  every  year  by  its  four  great  rivers.  Journeying 
northward  along  the  chief  river,  the  Menam,  this  plain  is 
found  to  continue  for  some  four  hundred  miles,  when  great 
mountains  close  in  upon  the  stream,  and  the  traveler  encount- 
ers more  than  forty  very  difficult  rapids  in  the  midst  of  sin- 
gularly impressive  scenery;  after  which  the  country  opens 
again  into  another  wide  plain,  very  much  like  the  former 
one,  and  known  as  that  of  the  Laos  people.  The  annual 
overflow  of  the  rivers,  with  the  abundant  rainfall,  favors 
the  production  of  such  crops  as  rice  and  sugar  in  great 
abundance.  It  claims  to  be  the  garden -land  of  the  world — 
the  land  of  fruit  and  flowers  and  of  never-ending  summer, 
with  grand  old  trees  overshadowing  every  hamlet,  and  plant- 
life  in  fullest  variety  bursting  on  every  side  from  the  fertile 
soil.  The  water  swarms  with  fish,  and  the  air  with  insects, 
while  all  manner  of  tropical  birds  and  beasts  exist  in  teem- 
ing multitudes.     Especially  is  it  the  land  of  elephants. 

One  varietyis  that  which  is  known  to  us  as  the  "white"' 
elephant,  though  the  Siamese  name  for  it  is  "the  strange- 
colored,"  and  it  is  really  a  whitish  brown.  Its  form  is  used 
on  the  Siamese  flags  as  the  national  symbol,  and  it  is  held 
in  great  honor,  though  not  actually  worshipped. 


274  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

The  climate  of  the  whole  country  is  genial  and  not 
unfavorable  to  health,  though  Europeans  need  to  exchange 
it  at  intervals  for  something  more  bracing,  and  the  natives 
suffer  considerably  from  malarial  diseases.  The  thermome- 
ter varies  from  52°  to  99°,  averaging  81°.  There  is  a  dry 
season  from  November  to  May,  and  a  wet  season  for  the 
other  half  of  the  year. 

The  population  numbering  about  9,000,000,  is  but  partly 
Siamese,  nearly  one-half  being  made  up  of  the  tributary 
races  and  of  Chinese  immigrants.  The  Chinese  are  much 
the  more  energetic  race,  and  have  rapidly  secured  for  them- 
selves the  positions  of  profitable  enterprise  in  the  land . 

By  descent  the  Siamese  are  of  the  same  family  with  the 
Chinese,  having  also  several  features  of  likeness  to  the 
natives  of  India.  The  name  by  which  we  call  them  is  sup- 
posed to  come  from  the  Sanscrit  word  "syam,"  meaning 
"the  brown,"  though  they  call  themselves  by  a  term  signi- 
fying "  the  free."  They  are  a  gentle,  passive,  rather  weak 
race,  given  to  dissimulation,  and  very  conceited;  but  they 
are  reverential  to  the  aged,  especially  to  parents,  are  kind 
to  their  children,  liberal  in  alms-giving,  orderly  and  peace- 
able. They  have  quick,  though  not  very  strong,  minds,  and 
are  said  to  be  more  receptive  than  the  Chinese.  These  traits 
are  common  to  all  the  native  races,  though  the  Laos  have  a 
somewhat  stronger  character,  with  many  interesting  traits 
peculiar  to  itself.  The  universal  inertness,  due  to  the  ener- 
vating climate,  is  encouraged  by  the  fact  that  food  is  so 
excessively  cheap,  and  that  small  exertion  is  required  for 
satisfying  the  need  of  clothing,  a  waist-cloth  having  usually 
been  all  that  was  held  necessary,  with  sometimes  a  light  cape 
over  the  shoulders.  A  large  proportion  of  the  people  have 
continued  to  live  in  a  state  which  is  nominally  that  of  slav- 
ery, though  it  is  of  a  mild  type,  and  terminable  at  any  time 
by  the  payment  of  a  fixed  sum.  It  is  now  in  process  of 
being  entirely  abolished,  by  order  of  the  King.  Women  are 
not  held  in  restriction,  but  go  about  the  streets  at  will,  and 
transact  business  freely.  They  are,  however,  considered  to 
be  of  so  inferior  a  nature  that  they  are  not  educated  at  all, 
whereas  most  of  the  men  and  boys  can  read  and  write. 
Polygamy  is  usual  among  those  who  can  afford  it,  and 
divorce  is  easy  in  all  cases,  though  there  are  many  happy 
marriages. 

The  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy,  entrusting  all 
power  of  every  kind  to  the  King.     When  the  King  dies,  it  is 


THK    MISSIONS    IN   SIAM    AND   LAOS.  275 

the  assembly  of  nobles  which  chooses  his  successor,  either 
from  among  his  sons,  or,  if  they  prefer,  from  some  other 
family. 

The  history  of  the  country  presents  very  little  of  import- 
ance or  interest  until  the  advent  of  Christian  missionaries ; 
since  which  time  many  features  of  western  civilization  have 
been  adopted  by  order  of  the  present  King  and  of  his  prede- 
cessor. In  fact,  the  change  made  in  this  direction  has 
nothing  to  equal  it,  except  in  the  case  of  Japan. 

Foreign  commerce,  with  the  encouragement  which  it  is 
now  beginning  to  receive,  is  capable  of  immense  expansion, 
so  abundant  are  the  natural  resources  of  every  kind,  and  so 
readily  accessible.  Not  only  can  the  great  rivers  be  made 
available,  but  also  the  net-work  of  canals  which  interlaces 
the  country  between  them.  This  gives  its  peculiar  character 
to  Bangkok,  the  capital,  which  has  much  the  same  import- 
ance for  Siam  as  London  for  England.  This  city  of  six 
hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  not  far  from  the  sea, 
has  the  chief  river  of  the  land  for  its  main  avenue  and  canals 
for  streets.  When  the  native  houses  are  not  built  on  piles 
driven  into  the  banks,  they  are  often  floated  on  platforms  in 
the  river  itself,  whose  sides  are  thus  lined  for  several  miles. 
The  whole  city  and  indeed  all  lower  Siam  can  be  reached 
by  boat — a  fact  most  important  for  commerce,  as  it  is  also 
for  missionary  work. 

Buddhism. 

Considered  as  a  field  for  Christian  missions,  the  most  no- 
ticeable fact  in  regard  to  Siam  is  that  it  constitutes  the  very 
citadel  of  Buddhism — the  land  which,  more  than  any  other, 
is  entirely  and  only  Buddhist.  In  China,  a  Buddhist  is  also 
a  Confucianist  and  a  Taoist ;  even  his  Buddhism  itself  being 
far  less  pure  than  in  Siam.  This  system  attracts  the  more 
attention  because  within  the  present  generation  it  has  become 
distinctly  known  by  us  for  the  first  time.  The  result  is  that 
while  many  still  regard  it  as  a  mere  tissue  of  palpable  ab- 
surdities, some  of  our  writers  are  claiming  for  it  a  place  by 
the  side  of  Christianity  itself,  and  on  a  level  with  it. 

The  truth  lies  of  course  between  such  extremes.  Bud- 
dhists need  Christianity  as  deeply  as  any  men  on  earth  ;  yet 
their  own  system,  with  its  strange  mixture  of  good  and  evil, 
has  a  power  which  is  real  and  formidable.  It  seems  to  have 
originated  about  the  time  of  the  Jewish  prophet  Daniel,  in 
an  age   which   also    witnessed   the   teaching   of  Confucius 


276  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

among  the  Chinese,  and  of  Pythagoras  among  the  Greeks  ; 
a  time  which  was  one  of  mental  quickening  and  enlarge- 
ment of  thought  over  all  the  earth.  Its  founder  himself 
was  commonly  known  by  his  family  name  Gautama,  and  by 
the  titfe  of  "The  Buddha  "—that  is,  "The  Enlightened 
One."  He  has  left  an  impression,  by  his  character  and 
teachings,  rarely  equalled  among  men.  In  Siam,  for  ex- 
ample, there  has  been  for  twelve  hundred  years  no  other 
religion  than  his  ;  one  which  is  venerated  beyond  expres- 
sion, and  interwoven  with  every  act  and  occupation  of  life. 
It  has  shown  much  of  intellectual  subtlety,  and  even  of 
moral  truth,  mingled  with  all  its  absurdities  and  vices  ;  and 
has  proved  itself  singularly  adapted  to  the  people  with 
whom  it  deals.  Its  influence  is  not  only  long-continued 
and  deep,  but  very  broad.  It  has  greatly  modified  the 
other  religions  of  India,  though  seven  centuries  ago  it  was 
finally  driven  from  its  place  among  them  ;  while  in  China 
the  whole  population  is  enrolled  among  its  adherents.  One- 
half  of  mankind  bear  its  impressions  ;  one-third  of  them 
are  its  active  supporters.  It  would  be  by  all  means  the 
leading  religion  on  earth  if  mere  numbers  could  make  it 
such. 

Yet,  in  the  real  sense  of  the  word,  it  is  no  religion  at  all, 
for  it  teaches  of  no  God  above  and  no  soul  within  us. 
Most  of  its  followers  have  in  their  language  no  word  what- 
ever for  that  which  we  call  "  God, "  in  the  sense  of  a  divine 
Ruler,  Creator,  Preserver  of  men,  and  the  very  idea  of  such 
a  being  does  not  exist  in  Buddhism.  The  Buddha  himself 
was  not  a  god,  but  a  man  ;  and  though  he  speaks  of  beings 
who  are  called  gods,  yet  they  are  described  as  mere  mortals 
like  ourselves,  having  no  power  over  us,  nor  even  any  essen- 
tial superiority  to  us.  Each  man  must  work  out  his  own 
destiny  for  himself  with  no  aid  from  any  higher  power,  and 
in  the  spirit  of  atheistic  rationalism. 

Buddhism,  as  such,  has  therefore  no  such  thing  as 
prayer  or  religious  worship  in  any  form.  The  nearest  ap- 
proach to  this  is  in  the  form  of  inward  meditation,  or  of 
paying  outward  honors  to  the  memory  of  Gautama  by  car- 
rying flowers  to  his  monument.  When  Buddhists  wish  to 
find  any  outlet  for  the  religious  instinct  they  must  go  out- 
side of  Buddhism  to  seek  it.  This  is  actually  the  case  with 
nearly  all  of  them.  They  crave  some  object  of  worship, 
and  since  Gautama  has  given  them  none,  they  addict  them- 
selves to  some  form  of  devil-worship  or  witchcraft  by  way 


THE   MISSIONS    IN   SIAISI    AND    LAOS.  277 

of  addition  to  his  system.  They  do  also  say  prayers,  which 
are  in  some  cases  the  real  cry  of  the  soitl  toward  some  one 
or  some  thing  which  can  lielp  it.  Usually  however,  the 
"  prayer"  which  they  repeat  is  not  so  much  in  the  form  of 
appeal  to  any  living  hearer  as  in  that  of  a  charm  or  incanta- 
tion ;  the  mere  repetition  of  the  words  being  supposed  to 
have  magical  power  in  itself.  Hence  originated  the  use  of 
"  praying-mills  "  in  Thibet,  each  turn  of  the  wlieel  l^eing 
considered  as  a  repetition  of  the  prayer  or  magical  form  which 
is  written  upon  it.  In  such  ways  as  this  Buddhism  has 
come  to  receive  an  enormous  mass  of  additions,  man}'  of 
which  are  directly  opposed  to  its  original  teachings.  A 
singular  fact  in  this  connection  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  ex- 
tremely elaborate  system  of  worship  in  Thibet  (not  in  Siam), 
which  resembles  closely  in  all  its  outward  forms  that  of  the 
Church  of  Rome.  Even  in  Siam  images  of  Buddha  are 
enormously  multiplied,  tending  to  practical  idolatry.  There 
are  said  to  be  fourteen  thousand  in  one  temple  alone. 

The  atheism  of  Gautama's  teaching  is  the  more  com- 
plete because  of  his  declaring,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner 
possible,  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  soul  or  spirit  in  man 
himself ;  that  a  man  is  only  a  body  with  certain  faculties 
added  to  it,  all  of  which  scatter  into  nothingness  when  the 
body  dissolves.  One  feature  of  Buddhism,  therefore,  is  its 
denial  of  all  spiritualitJ^  divine  or  human. 

A  second  feature  is  its  assertion,  as  the  positive  facts 
upon  which  it  builds,  of  two  most  remarkable  ideas.  One 
of  these  is  the  doctrine  of  transmigration.  This  belief, 
-Strange  as  it  seems  to  Christians,  is  held  by  the  greater  part 
of  the  human  race  as  the  only  explanation  for  the  perplex- 
ing inequalities  of  earthly  experience.  It  teaches  that  the 
cause  of  every  joy  or  sorrow  is  to  be  found  in  some  conduct 
of  the  man  himself,  if  not  in  this  life,  then  in  some  of  his 
previous  lives.  Such  a  theory  appeals  to  the  conviction 
that  every  event  must  have  a  cause,  and  to  the  innate  sense 
of  justice  which  demands  that  everj^  act  shall  have  its 
merited  consequence.  It  also  connects  itself  with  that 
"strange  trick  of  memory,"  as  it  has  been  called,  which 
leads  occasionally  to  the  sudden  sense  of  our  having  previ- 
ously met  the  very  scene,  having  said  and  done  the  very 
things,  which  are  now  present  with  us.  As  the  usual 
emblem  of  Christianity  is  the  cross,  so  that  of  Buddhism  is 
the  wheel — chosen  as  such  from  its  suggestion  of  endless 
rotation. 


278  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OP 

Buddhism,  however,  which  denies  the  existence  of  the 
soul,  is  obh'ged  to  teach  transmigration  in  a  very  strange 
form.  According  to  this,  although  3'^ou  go  to  nothingness 
when  you  die,  yet  a  new  person  is  sure  to  be  produced  at 
that  moment,  who  is  considered  to  be  practically  the  same 
as  yourself,  because  he  begins  existence  with  all  your  merits 
and  demerits  exactly,  and  it  is  to  your  thirst  for  life  that  he 
owes  his  being.  Yet,  as  it  is  acknowledged  that  you  are  not 
conscious  of  producing  him  and  he  is  not  conscious  of  any 
relation  with  you,  it  is  hard  to  see  how  men  can  accept  in 
such  a  form  this  doctrine  of  "Karma."  Practically,  its 
believers  are  apt  to  forget  their  denial  of  the  soul,  and 
speak  as  if  it  does  exist  and  goes  at  death  into  a  new  body. 
This  new  birth,  moreover,  maj^  be  not  into  the  form  of  a 
man,  but  into  that  of  a  beast  of  the  earth,  a  devil  in  some 
hell  or  an  angel  in  some  heaven.  Buddhism  not  only 
teaches  the  existence  of  hells  and  heavens,  but  fixes  their 
exact  size  and  position  ;  so  that  one  glance  through  the 
telescope,  or  any  acquaintance  with  astronomy,  is  enough 
to  prove  the  falsity  of  its  declarations  on  that  point.  It  is 
further  taught  that  each  of  these  future  lives  must  come  to 
an  end,  for  all  things  above  and  below  are  continually  chang- 
ing places  with  each  other,  as  they  ever  have  done  and  ever 
will  do.  There  is  therefore  no  real  satisfaction  even  in  the 
prospect  of  a  heavenly  life,  since  it  must  in  time  change 
and  probably  for  the  worse. 

In  close  connection,  then,  with  this  fundamental  idea  of 
Buddhism,  namely  transmigration,  is  the  other  idea  that  all 
life,  present  or  future,  is  essentially  so  transitory,  disappoint- 
ing and  miserable,  that  the  greatest  of  blessings  would  be 
the  power  to  cease  from  the  weary  round  entirely  and  for- 
ever. Practically  its  votaries  have  before  their  minds  a  life 
in  some  delightful  heaven,  secured  against  turning  into  any 
following  evil  by  passing  instead  into  calm,  unending  slum- 
ber. This  heavenly  condition  is  marked  by  the  perception 
of  life's  illusiveness,  with  freedom  from  all  resulting  lusts 
and  passions  ;  and  this  ensures  that  when  the  life  you  are 
then  living  shall  close,  no  new  being  will  be  formed  in 
your  place,  because  your  thirst  for  living  is  at  last  ex- 
tinguished. While  it  is  true,  then,  that  this  condition  of 
heavenly  calm  or  Nirvana  is  represented  as  eminently 
attractive,  yet  its  distinguishing  benefit  lies  in  the  fact  that 
when  it  ends,  that  which  follows  is  not  a  new  birth,  but  an 
eternal  freedom  from  all  life.     This  is  in  its  essence  a  doc- 


The  missions  in  siam  and  i^aos.  279 

trine  of  despair,  even  though  the  annihilation  of  life  is 
called  by  the  softer  name  of  endless  slumber,  and  attention 
is  mainly  fixed  on  the  joys  of  AHrvajia,  which  precede  that 
slumber. 

The  third  chief  feature  of  Buddhism  is  its  description  of 
the  "  Noble  Path" — the  way  by  which  a  man  is  to  reach  the 
desired  goal.  Having  ( i)  denied  the  existence  of  God  and 
the  soul,  and  (2)  asserted  the  existence  of  transmigration 
and  of  an  essential  misery  in  all  life,  from  which  A^JrvcDia 
is  the  only  deliverance,  it  proceeds  (3)  to  tell  how  Nirva^ia 
ma}'^  be  reached.  It  is  by  means  of  preserving  meditation 
upon  the  hollowness  of  life,  together  with  the  practice  of 
control  over  self  and  beneficence  to  others.  Many  of  the 
rules  given  for  this  end  have  in  them  a  moral  truth  and 
beauty  which  is  remarkable.  The  opposition  made  to  caste 
and  to  extending  religion  by  force  of  arms,  the  freedom 
given  to  women,  and  the  mildness  of  manners  cherished 
among  all,  are  mo.st  commendable.  Much  of  its  hold  upon 
men  undoubtedly  comes  from  the  fact  that  its  moral  standard 
is  endorsed  to  so  great  an  extent  by  every  man's  conscience, 
that  it  has  a  spirit  of  self-help  by  working,  and  that  it 
encourages  merit  by  one's  own  acts  Gautama,  the  Buddha, 
must  have  been  far  above  the  average  in  brain  and  heart, 
and  not  the  least  so  in  his  efforts  to  learn  from  others  before 
beginning  himself  to  teach.  But  his  followers  of  to-day 
are  by  no  means  teachable  in  the  presence  of  Christianity, 
with  its  fullness  of  divine  truth  ;  and  whenever  partial  truth 
resists  fuller  truth  it  becomes  wrong  and  hurtful.  If  Bud- 
dhism held  faithfully  the  truth  it  knew,  ever  ready  to  learn 
further  lessons  of  good,  it  could  be  viewed  with  gladness  as 
a  system  which  had  prevented  many  a  worse  one,  while  not 
hindering  aught  better  still ;  but  this  latter  assertion  cannot 
be  made. 

Here  is  a  system  whose  only  reply  to  inquiries  concern- 
ing religion  or  spirituality  is  an  unbroken  silence;  one  which 
leaves  men  to  go  elsewhere  in  search  of  information  if  they 
will,  and  to  believe  anything  or  nothing,  just  as  they  please, 
on  this  subject.  Of  course,  the  practical  inference  is,  that 
religion  is  impossible,  and  that  the  cravings  which  we  call 
spiritual  cannot  expect  to  be  satisfied,  but  only  to  be  dulled 
and  deadened  and  finally  extinguished.  Disobedience  to  its 
laws  is  not  called  "sin,"  for  where  no  God  is  recognized  no 
sin  is  confessed,  and  it  is  merely  so  much  loss  to  one's  self, 
just  as  when  any  other  law  of  nature  is  broken.     If  you 


28o  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

choose  to  take  the  loss  you  are  always  at  liberty  to  break 
the  law.  Morality  becomes  a  mere  affair  of  profit  and  loss; 
so  that  we  even  read  of  a  Buddhist  account  book,  with  its 
debtor  and  creditor  columns,  by  which  the  yearly  balance 
of  merits  or  demerits  could  readily  be  ascertained.  As  there 
is  no  love  to  any  God  in  all  this,  neither  is  there  any  benefi- 
cence toward  men  which  is  other  than  negative  and  selfish. 
The  self-annihilation  which  is  emphasized  is  not  sought  from 
any  love  for  others,  but  simply  as  a  means  of  finally  escap- 
ing from  misery  by  escaping  from  existence,  after  tasting 
whatever  sensual  enjoyment  may  come  within  reach  on  the 
way. 

We  must  beware,  then,  of  putting  Christian  meaning 
into  Buddhist  words,  or  of  supposing  that  such  a  descrip- 
tion of  Buddhism  as  Arnold's  "  Light  of  Asia"  could  have 
been  written  by  any  man  destitute  of  Christian  ideas. 
Moreover,  if  there  is  fault  and  defect  even  in  the  purest 
possible  form  of  the  system,  how  much  more  is  there  in  the 
actual  teachings  of  Buddhist  books  after  twenty-four  hun- 
dred years  of  corruption  ! 

The  practical  conduct  of  its  followers  is  below  even  their 
own  faulty  standard  ;  they  live  as  the  heathen  did  whom 
Paul  describes  in  the  first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the 
Romans.  For,  after  all,  the  great  distinction  between  all 
other  religions  and  Christianity  is  not  merely  that  they  pre- 
sent lower  standards  than  it,  but  that  they  do  not  present  at 
all  that  which  is  its  one  chief  offer,  viz.,  grace  and  strength 
whereby  men  become  able  to  rise  toward  the  standard. 
Buddhism  makes  no  such  offer  as  this,  and  has  no  concep- 
tion of  such  a  thing.  It  fixes  the  mind  upon  the  evils  and 
miseries  of  life,  which  it  is  by  its  own  power  to  shun,  and 
not  upon  the  positive  holiness  and  blessedness  of  a  divine 
Father  and  Saviour,  whose  grace  can  lift  the  soul  toward  the 
glory  which  it  sees  in  Him. 

Christians  freely  concede  all  that  can  truly  be  claimed  for 
the  Buddhist  standard  ;  for  the  higher  it  is,  the  more  does  it 
show  natural  conscience  endorsing  the  requirements  of  God 
as  no  more  than  right  and  just.  The  defects  of  Buddhism, 
both  in  theory  and  practice,  are  evident  enough.  In  all 
these  twenty-four  hundred  years,  and  among  these  myriads 
of  men,  it  has  produced  no  single  nation  comparable  with 
even  the  lowest  of  Christian  states.  In  fact,  the  very  exist- 
ence of  its  priesthood,  as  seen  in  Siam,  is  enough  to  dwarf 
the  prosperity  of  any  people.     The  name  of  "priest"  is. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SIAM    AND    LAOS.  28 1 

indeed,  hardly  accurate  in  this  case,  for  the  condition 
intended  is  rather  that  of  a  monk — of  one  who  gives  himself 
to  carry  into  practice  Gautama's  conception  of  the  best  life. 
Kach  works  out  merit  for  himself  by  a  life  of  meditation, 
without  undertaking  for  others  any  work  which  is  really 
"priestly."  Forbidden  to  engage  in  useful  work,  and  en- 
joined to  live  solely  on  alms,  these  men  drain  the  community 
of  $125,000,000  each  year  for  their  bodily  support  alone, 
besides  all  which  they  get  for  their  temples,  etc.  Ignorant 
as  they  usually  are,  yet  the  whole  education  of  the  people  is 
in  their  hands  ;  and  every  man  in  the  nation  spends  at  least 
a  part  of  his  life  in  the  priesthood,  while  every  woman  and 
child  is  glad  to  gain  merit  by  feeding  them.  They  not  only 
control  the  nation,  but  may  almost  be  said  to  include  it 
bodily ;  and  it  may  be  imagined  how  firmly  they  hold  it  to 
Buddhism.  When  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  say,  as  one  of 
these  priests  did,  "  I  do  not  worship  the  gods,  bul  they 
worship  me, ' '  and  to  really  believe  that  b\^  rigid  perseverance 
in  his  system  he  can  outrank  any  being  in  existence,  it  is 
evident  that  such  pride  will  not  readily  confess  itself  wholly 
wrong,  and  accept  any  new  religion.  Nor  must  it  be  for- 
gotten that  the  bodily  sustenance  of  these  masses  of  monks 
is  felt  to  depend  upon  the  continuance  of  Buddhism. 

How  can  a  system  be  conceived  more  completely  guarded 
against  the  entrance  of  Christianity,  and,  at  the  same  time, 
more  utterly  in  need  of  the  gospel?  It  might  readily  be 
expected  that  missionary  work  would  make  slow  progress 
under  such  circumstances.  We  can  the  better  appreciate, 
then,  that  advance  which  has  actually  been  made. 

Roman  Catholic  Missions. 

The  Church  of  Rome  established  its  missions  in  Siam 
as  early  as  1662.  The  grand  embassy  from  Louis  XIV.,  a 
few  years  later,  was  accompanied  by  a  considerable  number 
of  priests,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  they  have  held 
their  ground  through  periods  of  severe  persecution  or  of  con- 
temptuous toleration,  varied  only  occasionally  by  intervals  of 
royal  favor.  They  found  the  work  to  be  one  of  special  diffi- 
culty, however,  and  their  efforts  have  produced  far  less 
result  than  in  most  other  missions  conducted  by  them.  Yet 
the  size  of  their  roll  is  still  greater  than  that  of  the  Protest- 
ant Missions,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  remember  that 
the  difference  in  quality  is  so  radical  and  complete  that  such 
(19) 


282  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

a  comparison  of  quantities  is  utterly  misleading.  This  decla- 
ration would  not  be  made  if  the  Roman  Church  held  the 
same  standard  in  Siam  which  it  does  in  England  or  Amer- 
ica, instead  of  sinking,  as  it  actually  has  done,  almost 
to  the  level  of  heathenism  itself.  This  can  be  tested  by 
observing  its  attitude  towards  the  "  Christians,"  the  Siamese 
and  the  Chinese. 

There  is  still  a  considerable  body  of  mixed  descendants 
from  the  early  Portuguese  settlers  whom  the  Roman  priests 
have  succeeded  in  keeping  from  apostatizing  to  Buddhism  ; 
but  their  preservation  as  a  distinct  body  bearing  the  name 
of  "  Christian"  has  been  a  very  questionable  benefit.  For 
example,  Dr.  Gutzlafif  found  that  the  servility  and  moral 
degradation  of  these  "  Christians"  had  inspired  the  Siamese 
with  such  contempt,  not  only  for  the  religion,  but  for  the 
civilization  and  power  of  all  Europeans,  that  they  only  began 
to  change  their  minds  upon  finding  that  British  arms  had 
actually  defeated  and  conquered  Burmah,  which  is  on  the 
very  border  of  Siam  itself.  What  wonder  is  it  that  to  such 
a  body  as  this  there  have  been  added  scarcely  any  converts 
from  among  adult  Siamese,  and  that  the  rolls  of  the  Roman 
Church  are  enlarged  mainly  by  claiming  the  names  of  those 
heathen  infants  who  are  surreptitiously  baptized,  when  at 
the  point  of  death,  by  the  priests  or  their  assistants,  under 
the  guise  of  administering  medicine  ? 

From  the  Chinese  traders  Dr.  House  informs  us  that  the 
Roman  priests  did  receive  quite  an  accession  by  offering  as  a 
consideration  the  protection  of  the  French  Government, 
with  consequent  immunity  from  the  many  exactions  and 
annoyances  of  the  Siamese  officials.  It  is  very  evident  that 
a  roll  of  names  made  up  on  such  principles  cannot  fairly  be 
compared  with  that  of  Protestant  churches.  Whatever 
could  be  accomplished  by  Jesuit  influence  has  always  been 
tried  to  induce'  the  native  government  to  expel  from  the 
country  every  gospel  missionary.  No  retaliation  for  these 
attacks  has  been  attempted,  but  it  has  been  clearly  mani- 
fested that  the  need  of  Siam  for  Protestant  Missions  is  not 
a  particle  the  less,  but  rather  the  greater,  because  of  the 
mission  work  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 


Protestant  Missions. 

"  It  is  an  interesting  fact,"  says  Dr.  House,  "that  the 
very  first  effort  made  by  any  of  the  Protestant  faith  for  the 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SIAM    AND    LAOS.  283 

spiritual  good  of  the  people  of  Siaiu  was  by  a  woman. 
This  was  Ann  Hazeltine  Judson,  of  sainted  memory,  who 
had  become  interested  in  some  Siamese  living  at  Rangoon, 
where  she  then  resided.  In  a  letter  to  a  friend  in  the  United 
States,  dated  April  30,  1818,  she  writes:  '  Accompanying  is 
a  catechism  in  Siamese,  which  I  have  just  copied  for  you. 
I  have  attended  to  the  Siamese  language  for  about  a  year 
and  a  half,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  my  teacher,  have 
translated  the  Burman  catechism  (just  prepared  by  Dr.  Jud- 
son), a  tract  containing  an  abstract  of  Christianity  and  the 
Gospel  of  Matthew  into  that  language.'  The  catechism 
was  printed  by  the  English  Baptist  mission  press  at  Seram- 
pore,  in  1819,  being  the  first  Christian  book  ever  printed  in 
Siamese. ' ' 

For  more  than  twenty  years  after  this  time,  however, 
Siam  was  regarded  by  mission  workers  chiefly  as  a  point  of 
approach  to  China.  It  was  in  this  way  that  Bangkok  was 
visited  in  1828  by  the  celebrated  Dr.  Carl  Gutzlafif,  whose 
works  upon  China  are  still  of  great  value.  He  was  then 
connected  with  the  Netherland  Missionary  Society,  and  was 
accompanied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Tomlin,  of  the  I^ondon  Society's 
mission  at  Singapore.  They  immediately  gave  their  services 
as  physicians  to  crowds  of  patients,  and  distributed  twenty - 
five  boxes  of  books  and  tracts  in  Chinese  within  two 
months.  They  connected  with  their  Chinese  work  the 
study  of  Siamese,  even  attempting  to  translate  the  Scrip- 
tures into  that  language.  Appeals  were  also  sent  by  them  to 
the  American  churches,  to  the  American  Board  of  Commis- 
sioners for  Foreign  Missions,  and  to  Dr.  Judson,  in  Burmah, 
urging  that  missionaries  be  sent  to  Siam.  Mr.  Tomlin  was 
compelled  by  severe  illness  to  return  to  Singapore  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Late  in  1829,  Dr.  Gutzlaff,  having  prepared 
a  tract  in  Siamese,  and  translated  one  of  the  Gospels,  also 
visited  Singapore  to  have  them  printed.  While  there  he 
was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Newell,  of  the  London  Missionary 
Society,  the  first  woman  to  undertake  personal  work  for 
Christ  in  Siam  itself,  whither  she  went  a  few  months  after 
their  marriage.  She  lived,  however,  little  more  than  a  year 
after  that  time.  Her  husband,  being  extremely  ill,  was 
urged  to  sail  northward  to  China  itself,  which,  in  spite  of 
great  peril,  he  succeeded  in  doing,  and  began,  on  his  recov- 
ery, a  singularly  adventurous  pioneer  work  in  that  land. 
He  was  but  twenty-five  years  of  age  when  he  reaclud  Sian- , 
and  he  put  forth  all  the  energy  of  his  nature  into  the  work 


284  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

he  found  there.  The  death  of  his  devoted  wife  and  his  own 
enforced  departure  to  China  were  therefore  no  ordinary  loss 
for  Siam.  A  few  days  after  he  had  sailed,  in  June,  1831, 
Rev.  David  Abeel  arrived,  having  been  sent  by  the  Ameri- 
can Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions  in  answer 
to  the  appeal  of  Dr.  Gutzlaff  and  Mr.  Tomlin.  The  latter 
himself  came  with  him,  but  only  remained  for -six  months, 
when  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Anglo  Chinese  College 
at  Malacca.  After  repeated  experiments,  Dr.  Abeel  also 
was  compelled,  in  November,  1832,  to  give  up  work  in  Siam 
on  account  of  protracted  ill-health.  The  American  Board 
thereupon  sent  out  Rev.  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Robinson, 
who  arrived  in  July,  1834,  and  D.  B.  Bradley,  M.D.,  in 
July,  1835.  "  lyike  all  their  predecessors,  these  mission- 
aries had  some  knowledge  of  the  healing  art  and  a  stock  of 
medicines  for  free  distribution,  so  that  the  people  of  Siam 
naturally  give  to  every  Protestant  missionary  the  title  of 
'mau,'  or  'doctor  of  medicine.'  "  Several  of  them  have 
been  fully-trained  physicians,  among  whom  was  Dr.  Brad- 
ley. "  His  work  as  medical  missionary,  writer  and  trans- 
lator into  Siamese  of  Christian  books,  printer  and  preacher, 
continued  with  a  zeal  and  hope  which  knew  neither  weariness 
nor  discouragement  until  his  lamented  death,  after  thirty- 
eight  years  of  toil,  in  June,  1873."  Two  of  his  daughters, 
Mrs.  McGilvary  and  Mrs.  Cheek,  became  the  wives  of 
Presbyterian  missionaries,  the  third  generation  being  rep- 
resented by  the  children  of  Mrs.  McGilvary,  who  joined 
their  parents  in  the  mission  work  at  Chieng-Mai.  Upon 
the  opening  of  China  to  missionary  work,  the  American 
Board  transferred  its  efforts  to  that  country,  and  in  1850 
gave  its  field  in  Siam  to  the  ' '  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Society."  The  work  of  this  society  was  begun  in  Bangkok 
by  Rev.  J.  T.  Jones,  who  acquired  the  language,  and  trans- 
lated the  Gospels.  In  1835,  Rev.  Wm.  Dean  was  sent  to 
work  among  the  Chinese  in  Siam.  This  proved  the  more 
successful  field,  and  the  Siamese  work  was  discontinued  in 
1870. 

The  Rev.  John  Carrington  has  been  the  representative  of 
the  American  Bible  Society  in  Siam  since  1889.  An  inde- 
pendent Baptist  missionary.  Dr.  Adamsen,  opened  a  chapel 
in  Bangkok  in  1896.  With  these  exceptions,  there  is  no 
Protestant  mission  work  for  the  Siamese,  except  that  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SIAM    AND    LAOS.  285 

PKh^^BVTKRIAN    MISSIONS. 

The  first  visit  made  to  Siam  by  any  representative  of  our 
own  Church  was  for  the  same  purpose  which  had  already 
brought  other  missionaries  there — namely,  to  find  some  door 
of  access  to  the  Chinese.  Tliis  was  in  November,  1838, 
when  Rev.  R.  W.  Orr  spent  a  month  in  Bangkok,  and  there- 
upon recommended  our  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  to  take 
this  country  as  a  field  of  effort,  not  only  for  the  Chinese, 
but  for  the  Siamese  themselves.  In  accordance  with  this 
recommendation  the  Rev.  W.  P.  Buell  was  sent  to  Bangkok, 
where  he  arrived  in  1840.  After  remaining  until  1844,  and 
doing  good  foundation  work,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the 
field  to  bring  home  Mrs.  Buell,  who  had  been  stricken  with 
paralysis.  Arrangements  were  made  to  fill  his  place  as  soon 
as  possible,  but  from  various  reasons  it  was  not  until  1S47 
that  the  next  missionaries  actually  reached  Siam.  From 
that  time  until  the  present,  continuous  work  has  been  main- 
tained ;  and  as  the  Chinese  could  then  be  reached  in  their 
own  land,  our  mission  here  addressed  itself  directly  to  the 
native  Siamese. 

The  Rev.  Stephen  Mattoon  and  wife,  with  Rev.  S.  R. 
House,  M.D.,  were  the  missionaries  who  began  work  in  that 
year.  Their  foothold  seemed,  however,  very  precarious  for 
several  years  afterward,  on  account  of  the  active,  though 
secret,  opposition  of  the  King.  Without  openly  using  force, 
he  so  exerted  his  despotic  influence  upon  the  people  that 
none  of  them  could  be  induced  to  rent  or  sell  any  house  to 
the  missionaries,  and  a  most  effectual  obstacle  to  their  work 
was  thus  presented.  Other  difficulties  of  the  same  general 
nature  were  put  in  their  way,  and  it  seemed  quite  certain 
that  they  would  actually  be  prevented  from  establishing 
themselves  in  the  country. 

About  the  same  time  Sir  James  Brooks,  who  had  arrived 
to  open  negotiations  with  the  King  on  behalf  of  the  British 
Government,  found  himself  treated  in  a  manner  which  he 
considered  so  insulting  that  he  indignantly  took  ship  again 
with  the  purpose  of  securing  assistance  in  the  effort  to  open 
the  country  by  main  force.  Just  at  the  moment  when  all 
these  complications  were  at  their  height,  the  death  of  the 
King  was  announced  (April  3,  1851 ).  The  young  Prince 
chosen  to  succeed  him  had  been  instructed  in  languages  and 
science  by  Rev.  Mr.  Caswell,  of  the  American  Board,  and 
had  learned  to  esteem  the  missionaries  and  approve  their 


286  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OI^' 

work.  He  at  once  instituted  a  liberal  policy,  made  treaties 
with  England  and  the  United  States,  and  had  his  children 
educated  under  Christian  influence. 

An  official  document,  under  the  royal  sanction,  makes  the 
following  statement :  "  Many  years  ago  the  American  mis- 
sionaries came  here.  They  came  before  any  other  Europeans, 
and  they  taught  the  Siamese  to  speak  and  read  the  English 
language.  The  American  missionaries  have  always  been 
just  and  upright  men.  They  have  never  meddled  in  the 
affairs  of  government,  nor  created  any  difficulty  with  the 
Siamese.  They  have  lived  with  the  Siamese  just  as  if  they 
belonged  to  the  nation.  The  government  of  Siam  has  great 
love  and  respect  for  them  and  has  no  fear  whatever  concern- 
ing them.  When  there  has  been  a  difficulty  of  any  kind, 
the  missionaries  have  many  times  rendered  valuable  assist- 
ance. For  this  reason  the  Siamese  have  loved  and 
respected  them  for  a  long  time.  The  Americans  have  also 
taught  the  Siamese  many  things. ' '  The  present  King,  who 
came  to  the  throne  in  1868,  has  always  treated  the  mission- 
aries with  great  kindness  and  respect,  and  has  generously 
assisted  our  schools  and  hospitals. 

No  estimate  of  mission  work  would  be  complete  in  Siam, 
which  did  not  include  its  connection  with  these  great  changes 
in  the  whole  attitude  and  condition  of  the  nation.  Though 
such  results  may  be  considered  as  indirect  and  preparatory, 
they  are  to  be  thankfully  acknowledged  before  God,  who  has 
chosen  to  manifest  His  blessing  and  help  in  this  form,  while 
not  omitting  further  tokens  of  a  more  immediately  spiritual 
nature. 

Perhaps  the  best  way  to  view  the  course  of  our  work  will 
be  to  look  at  it  in  connection  with  the  places  which  have 
successively  been  taken  up  as  centres  of  effort. 

The  first  convert  in  connection  with  the  mis- 
Bangkok  sion  was  the  Chinese  teacher  Qua-Kieng,  who 
was  baptized  in  1844,  and  died  in  the  faith 
in  1859.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that  three  of  his  children 
became  Christians  after  his  death  and  one  of  his  grandsons, 
educated  in  the  United  States,  has  returned  to  his  own  coun- 
try as  a  Christian  minister,  and  is  now  engaged  in  earnest 
work  for  his  people. 

A  good  record  is  also  given  of  Nai  Chune,  the  first  native 
Siamese  convert.  "  Though  frequently  offered  positions  of 
honor,  lucrative  offices,  and  employment  by  the  government, 
he  refuses  all  and  chooses  to  support  himself  by  the  practice 


'THE    MISSIONS    IN    SlAM    AND    LAOS.  287 

of  medicine,  that  thus   he   may  the   more  readily  carry  the 
gospel  message." 

It  was  not  until  1859,  however,  that  this  first  convert 
was  made.  Instead  of  causing  His  servants  to  reap  imme- 
diately, by  bringing  one  part  of  the  field  into  full  maturity, 
the  Master  chose,  as  we  have  seen,  to  use  them  for  doing 
long-continued  preparatory  work,  which  will  in  the  end  attest 
His  wisdom  as  the  I^ord  of  the  harvest.  Tokens  have  more- 
over come  to  light  within  recent  years  whicli  show  that  there 
really  was  success,  even  of  a  directly  spiritual  nature,  where 
there  were  no  signs  visible  to  the  patient  workers.  For 
example,  several  years  after  Dr.  Bradley's  death  a  marked 
instance  of  conversion  was  found,  which  was  traceable 
directly  to  his  faithful  efforts  in  the  printing  and  distribution 
of  Christian  truth.  In  1877,  a  venerable  man,  evidently 
of  high  rank,  came  to  Chieng-Mai  to  ask  medicine  for  his 
deafness,  and  referred  to  the  miraculous  cure  which  Christ 
had  wrought  upon  a  deaf  man.  He  proved  to  be  the  high- 
est officer  of  the  court  in  the  province  of  Lakawn,  and  at 
the  time  of  this  visit  was  seventy-three  years  of  age.  Twenty 
years  before  he  had  visited  Bangkok  and  received  religious 
iDooks  from  Dr.  Bradley.  They  were  printed  in  the  Siamese 
character,  which  he  had  learned  for  the  purpose  of  reading 
them.  He  gave  inward  assent  to  the  truth  contained  in 
them  so  far  as  he  could  understand  it,  but  had  never  found 
any  missionary  to  give  him  further  instruction  in  his  far-off 
home.  His  firnuiess  of  principle  brought  upon  him  such 
trouble  in  his  own  province  that  he  had  come  to  Chieng-Mai, 
where  he  immediately  sought  out  the  missionaries.  From 
that  time  he  made  this  matter  his  one  study,  obtaining  Bud- 
dhist books  from  the  temple,  and  comparing  them  wdth 
Christian  books,  in  the  full  exercise  of  that  keen,  practical 
sagacity  for  which  he  was  noted.  He  intended  to  present 
himself  at  the  communion  table  in  April,  but  was  obliged 
to  stay  at  home  under  a  severe  attack  of  illness.  At  the 
next  communion,  however,  he  made  his  appearance,  declar- 
ing his  conviction  that  the  healing  of  his  disease  had  been 
in  answer  to  prayer.  The  missionary  who  moderated  the 
session  at  his  examination  had  seldom  heard  a  more  satis- 
factory and  intelligent  confession  of  faith  in  Christ  than  was 
given  by  him.  As  soon  as  he  was  known  to  be  a  Christian 
he  was  ordered  back  to  his  native  city  far  away.  His  death 
was  not  unlikely  to  be  the  result ;  but  he  said  to  his  Chris- 
tian friends.     "  If  they  want  to  kill  me  because  I  worship 


288  HISTORICAL  vSKETCH   OF 

Christ  and  not  demons,  I  will  let  them  pierce  me."  His 
life  was  spared  in  the  end,  but  office,  wealth  and  social  posi- 
tion were  taken,  and  he  was  ignored  by  all  his  friends. 
Later  still  we  hear  of  him  as  starting  to  walk  all  the  way 
to  Chieng-Mai,  being  too  impoverished  to  command  any 
mode  of  conveyance  suitable  for  his  old  age.  His  object  in 
coming  was  to  hear  still  further  about  the  L,ord  Jesus,  and 
the  result  of  this  second  visit  was  the  return  with  him  of 
two  native  members  from  the  Chieng-Mai  church  to  begin 
work  in  his  native  city.  Out  of  this  there  arose  one  of  our 
most  promising  stations ;  and  the  whole  affair  is  traceable 
directly  to  the  patient  work  of  that  early  missionary,  who 
never  in  this  life  came  to  know  anything  of  it. 

Preachi)iff ,  both  in  chapels  and  by  the  wayside,  has  been 
given  from  the  very  beginning  that  prominence  which  justly 
belongs  to  it  as  the  ordinance  of  Christ  for  the  saving  of 
souls.     Whatever  else  is  done,  this  is  also  done. 

Much  time  is  given  to  itinerating  work,  for  which  the 
canals  and  rivers  afford  peculiar  facilities.  The  evangelists 
are  always  greeted  by  large  audiences,  and  their  message  is 
received  with  apparent  eagerness.  Thousands  of  gospels 
and  other  books  are  sold  and  distributed  on  these  tours. 

In  Bangkok  itself,  the  premises  first  occupied  by  the 
mission  in  185 1  are  in  the  southern  part  of  the  city,  called 
Sumray.  The  chapel  where  the  First  Church  worships  is 
here,  with  the  boys'  boarding-schools,  and  residences  for 
the  missionaries.  In  1896,  this  church  became  independent 
of  foreign  support,  having  called  a  Siamese  pastor,  Rev. 
Kru  Yuan,  the  first  ordained  Protestant  minister  of  his  race. 
His  entire  salary  is  paid  by  the  church. 

At  Wang  Lang,  five  miles  farther  up  the  river,  is  the 
second  centre  of  the  mission,  among  the  better  class  of  resi- 
dences. Here  are  the  girls'  boarding-school,  some  dwelling- 
houses,  and  the  chapel  occupied  by  the  Second  Church. 

The  Third  Church,  organized  in  1897,  the  fiftieth  year 
since  the  establishment  of  the  mission,  is  located  in  a  thickly 
settled  part  of  the  city  on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 

At  Ayuthia,  the  ancient  capital,  regular  services  are  held, 
with  a  good  attendance.  A  floating  chapel  has  been  built, 
to  reach  the  large  number  of  people  who  live  in  boats  on  the 
rivers. 

The  Press  affords  another  agency  of  especial  importance 
among  a  people  where  four-fifths  of  the  men  and  boys  are 
able  to  read.     The  mission  press  at  Bangkok  is  constantly 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SIAM    AND    LAOS.  289 

sending  forth  copies  of  the  Scriptures  in  Siamese,  with 
translations  from  such  books  as  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress," 
the  "Child's  Book  of  the  Soul,"  etc.,  and  also  tracts  and 
books  prepared  especially  for  this  purpose — such  as  "The 
Light  of  Europe,"  written  by  a  native  Christian  layman  as 
a  criticism  on  Arnold 's  ' '  Light  of  Asia. ' '  Some  of  the  best 
tracts  for  general  evangelistic  work  have  been  written  by  the 
native  evangelists.  The  publication  of  the  Siamese  Hymnal 
has  also  proved  very  serviceable  among  a  music-loving  race. 
The  Bible  itself  was  until  recently  printed  in  separate  por- 
tions only,  on  account  of  the  fact  that  a  complete  copy,  even 
in  the  smallest  Siamese  type,  makes  a  volume  of  larger  size 
than  our  Webster's  Unabridged  Dictionary.  In  1895,  Rev. 
J.  B.  Dunlap,  during  his  furlough  in  America,  procured 
matrices  for  new  type,  which  combines  reduced  size  with 
greater  distinctness.  The  Bible  is  now  printed  in  four 
volumes  of  convenient  size.  There  have  been  in  use,  almost 
from  the  very  beginning,  translations  of  the  Gospels  and  of 
some  other  books  which  served  a  good  purpose  for  the  time; 
but  the  preparation  of  a  standard  Siamese  Bible  was  not 
completed  until  1894.  Literature  of  all  kinds  is  pouring  in 
upon  Siam,  much  of  it  exceedingly  hurtful ;  the  Christian 
Church  therefore  needs  to  supply  pure  reading  and  the  true 
gospel  to  minds  eager  for  knowledge  of  every  sort.  In  the 
early  days  of  the  mission  all  books  were  distributed  gratu 
itously,  but  now,  in  conjunction  with  the  American  Bible 
Society,  they  are  sold  at  a  nominal  price.  The  native  col- 
porteurs are  fearless  and  aggressive,  and  are  often  able  to 
push  ahead  of  the  missionar}^  who,  on  visiting  a  new  village, 
frequently  finds  there  already  a  partial  knowledge  of  the 
truth. 

Medical  work  has  also  been  a  most  valuable  adjunct  of 
missionary  effort,  and  this  in  two  ways.  Here,  as  in  every 
land,  it  opens  a  way  to  the  hearts  of  men  by  its  self-denying 
beneficence,  and  affords  many  an  opportunity  of  pointing 
the  sin-sick  soul  to  the  Great  Physician.  It  also  helps  to 
convince  them  that  Christianity  shows  itself  to  be  of  God  by 
its  harmony  with  all  other  truth,  even  in  nature  and  science; 
whereas  all  the  teachings  of  Buddhism  regarding  its  system 
of  heavens  and  hells  are  contradicted  and  disproved  by  the 
science  of  astronomy  ;  and  the  employment  of  incantations 
and  witchcraft  for  the  sick  is  proved  to  be  false  and  useless 
by  the  scientific  medical  practice  introduced  by  missionaries. 
In  1 88 1  a  hospital  for  sixty  patients  was  erected  and  given 


290  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OP 

for  public  use  b)^  a  native  nobleman,  and  in  charge  of  native 
attendants ;  the  physician  in  charge  being  Dr.  Tien  Hee, 
who  was  graduated  some  years  earlier  from  the  missionary 
boarding-school  at  Bangkok,  and  afterward  from  the  Medical 
School  of  the  University  of  the  City  of  New  York.  The 
government  of  Siam  has  now  in  Bangkok  three  hospitals, 
an  insane  asylum,  orphanage  and  dispensary.  Dr.  Hayes, 
who  labored  nobly  in  the  care  of  the  mission  dispensary 
and  Bangkok  hospital,  has,  at  the  request  of  the  Siamese 
Government,  taken  charge  of  these  government  institu- 
tions with  no  restriction  placed  upon  teaching  Christianity. 

Education,  especially  in  scientific  subjects,  has  been  from 
the  outset  one  of  the  strongest  means  of  influence.  The 
knowledge  of  civilization  and  Christianity  diffused  by  means 
of  schools  and  private  instruction  among  the  ruling 
classes  has  opened  the  way  for  future  advance.  In  1889  the 
Christian  High  School  was  opened.  This  receives  boys  from 
the  lower  schools  and  gives  them  a  thorough  Christian  edu- 
cation which  will  fit  them  for  teaching  or  the  ministry.  The 
yearly  attendance  averages  about  one  hundred. 

The  girls'  boarding-school,  known  as  the  Harriet  House 
School,  in  memory  of  one  of  its  founders,  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  educational  work!  The  musical  and  industrial 
departments  especially  attract  the  attention  of  the  better 
class  of  Siamese.  There  are  eighty  scholars,  with  more 
applications  than  can  be  received. 

The  government  has  always  shown  much  interest  in  the 
educational  work.  In  1878,  the  King  appointed  Dr.  McFar- 
land,  one  of  our  missionaries,  to  be  Principal  of  the  Royal 
College  at  Bangkok  and  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction 
at  large.  At  the  Bangkok  Centennial  Celebration,  in  1882, 
the  King  bought  the  entire  exhibit  made  by  the  girls'  school 
and  also  presented  silver  medals  to  the  principals  in  charge 
of  it.  His  interest  is  still  continued,  and  it  is  hoped  that 
the  policy  of  the  government  toward  female  education  may 
be  completely  changed  ;  that  the  young  women  of  Siam  may 
be  ' '  elevated  to  walk  side  by  side  with  their  husbands  and 
brothers,"  before  whom  is  set  a  high  standard  of  education. 
This  cit}',  one  hundred  miles  southwest  of  the 
Petchaburee  capital,  though  numbering  but  twenty  thous- 
and inhabitants,  is  the  central  point  of  influ- 
ence for  a  district  containing  a  population  of  almost  two 
millions.  When  Petchaburee  w^as  visited  by  a  missionary 
in  1843  his  books  were  refused,  and  every  attempt  to  exert 


Yhe  missions  in  siam  and  LAOS.  291 

even  a  passing  influence  for  Christianity  was  repnlsed  in 
the  most  uncompromising  manner  by  the  authorities.  In 
1 86 1,  however,  it  was  by  the  urgent  request  of  the  (jovernor 
that  a  station  was  formed  at  this  point.  Two  years  later  there 
were  three  native  converts  applying  for  membership,  and  a 
church  was  thereupon  organized.  There  are  now  in  Petchab- 
uree  and  its  province  four  churches  in  which  all  the  ordinary 
services  are  maintained.  These  grow  slowly  in  point  of 
membership,  as  great  care  is  exercised  in  receiving  appli- 
cants. The  church  at  Petchaburee  has  assumed  the  full 
support  of  a  native  evangelist.  -The  Howard  Industrial 
School  for  girls  was  carried  on  by  Miss  Jennie  Small  until 
her  death  in  1891,  when  it  was  combined  with  the  girls' 
boarding-school.  There  are  five  day-schools  in  the  sur- 
rounding villages. 

Medical  7cork  in  this  station  has  been  very  successful. 
The  hospital  and  dispensary  are  well  established,  receiving 
patients  from  far  and  near.  In  1888  the  King  of  Siam 
showed  his  appreciation  of  the  work  of  this  hospital  by  do- 
nating $2400  for  the  purpose  of  enlarging  its  buildings.  A 
woman's  ward  was  opened  in  1895,  with  funds  given  by  the 
Queen . 

Calls  for  a  station  at  Ratburee,  a  town  about 
Ratburee  sixty    miles   west   of  Bangkok,    and   in    tele- 

graphic and  postal  communication  with  it, 
came  repeatedly  to  the  mission,  even  those  in  authority  in 
the  Siamese  Government  urging  the  location  of  mission- 
aries there.  As  early  as  1887  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  had 
visited  Ratburee,  the  people  hearing  them  gladly  and  re- 
ceiving medical  treatment.  In  1889  they  returned  to  stay, 
having  received  from  the  government  a  suitable  dwelling  of 
which  some  of  the  lower  rooms  could  be  used  for  a  dispensary 
and  in-patients,  many  besides  being  treated  in  their  homes. 

In  1896  the  government  offered  the  mission  in  exchange 
for  the  property  occupied  by  them,  land  in  a  much  better 
situation,  with  buildings  which  by  some  alterations  were 
made  more  desirable  than  those  formerly  occupied. 

Regular  services  are  held  in  the  chapel,  and  schools  for 
boys  and  girls  well  maintained.  Preaching,  teaching  and 
healing  go  hand-in-hand,  and  Christian  Siamese  teachers 
are  training  the  children  in  righteousness. 

Several  evangelistic  tours  made  in  the  prov- 

Nakawn  ince  of  Nakawn,  southwest  of  Bangkok,  have 

resulted  in  the  formation  of  a  vigorous  church , 


^92  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OP 

organized  in  1895.  The  people  are  simple-minded  and 
earnest,  and  show  a  deep  interest  in  the  truth.  A  fine  plot 
of  ground  has  been  leased  by  favor  of  the  government,  and 
it  is  hoped  that  the  mission  force  may  soon  be  strong 
enough  to  spare  a  worker  for  this  field. 

The  Outlook. 

Patient,  arduous  labor  has  been  expended  in  Siam  for 
many  years,  without  large  visible  results.  The  enervating 
climate,  necessitating  frequent  changes  in  the  mission  force  ; 
the  mobile,  unretentive  character  of  the  people,  whose  easy 
acquiescence  is  more  discouraging  than  opposition,  are  ob- 
stacles which  call  for  faith  and  endurance.  Yet  grounds 
for  encouragement  are  not  wanting.  Buddhism  is  losing 
ground  ;  fewer  men  go  into  the  priesthood,  so  that  in  Bang- 
kok there  are  but  half  as  many  as  there  were  some  years 
since.  Those  who  do  enter  the  priesthood  remain  for  a 
shorter  term  than  formerly.  "The  King  himself  only 
remained  in  the  priesthood  a  month,  and  his  younger  broth- 
er recently  entered  it  for  three  days."  Our  inference  from 
such  a  fact  is  confirmed  by  the  further  statement  that  the 
leading  priests  are  themselves  becoming  so  alarmed  that 
they  are  taking  vigorous  measures  to  defend  Buddhism  by 
printing  and  distributing  books  which  attack  Christianity 
and  uphold  the  native  religion.  We  are  reminded  of  the 
fact  that  when  the  early  missionaries  arrived  in  Siam  a 
native  nobleman  said  to  them,  "Do  you  with  your  little 
chisel  expect  to  remove  this  great  mountain  ?"  Years  after- 
ward, when  one  of  those  missionary  pioneers  had  died, 
without  seeing  any  fruit  of  his  labors,  another  nobleman 
exclaimed,  "  Dr.  Bradley  is  gone,  but  he  has  undermined 
Buddhism  in  Siam."  It  was  a  felicitous  expression.  "  Un- 
dermining "  is  a  form  of  work  in  which  every  stroke  tells  to 
the  greatest  advantage.  Even  a  chisel  may  be  used  with  suc- 
cess against  a  massive  cliff  if  it  be  employed  to  '  'undermine" 
it.  The  missionaries  have  cut  their  little  channels  under 
the  cliff,  and  laid  up  here  and  there  the  magazines  of  spirit- 
ual power,  in  full  expectation  that  the  electric  flash  of  divine 
fire  would  in  due  time  pass  through  the  channels,  and  split 
in  pieces  the  mighty  rock. 

But  it  is  not  enough  to  do  merely  this  undermining  work. 
There  is  pressing  need  of  positively  Christianizing  the  land 
as  it  becomes  emptied  of  Buddhism,  else  the  last  state  of 


THE    MISSIONS   IN   SIAM    AND   LAOS.  293 

this  people  will  be  worse  than  the  first.  Infidelity  is  no  im- 
provement upon  Buddhism.  Our  chief  encouragement  is 
in  the  evident  presence  of  that  living  L,ord  who  can  bless  the 
more  positive  work  of  building  up  Christianity,  as  He  has 
blessed  the  negative  work  of  undermining  Buddhism.  The 
men  who  occupy  the  outposts  on  the  field  regard  themselves 
as  anything  but  a  "  forlorn  hope,"  while  their  weapons  are 
proving  mighty  through  God  to  the  casting  down  of  .strong- 
holds. We,  who  read  of  it  all  from  afar,  can  surely  do  our 
part  in  standing  by  them  with  prayer  and  sympathy  and 
every  needful  support.  The  Captain  of  the  host  of  the 
Lord  may  well  look  to  us  also  for  that  "  obedience  of  faith" 
which  shows  itself  by  trusting  in  Him  as  to  the  wisdom  of 
the  plan  and  the  certaint}^  of  its  success,  while  meantime 
we  simply  obey  our  standing  orders  by  doing  all  we  can  to 
' '  preach  the  gospel  to  everj^  creature. ' ' 


LAOS. 

This  name  indicates  an  organization  which  is  distinct 
and  separate,  though  it  is  grouped  with  the  Siamese  mission 
in  our  reports,  and  is  closely  connected  with  it.  The  Laos 
people,  it  will  be  remembered,  are  distinct  from  the  Siamese, 
though  subject  to  the  same  government.  The  upper  plain, 
which  is  their  home,  though  but  five  hundred  miles  above 
Bangkok,  is  practically  farther  from  it  than  is  New  York 
itself,  if  the  distance  is  estimated*  by  the  length  of  time 
required  for  the  journey.  The  rapids  in  the.river  and  the 
almost  impassable  mountains  on  each  side  of  it  present  bar- 
riers not  quickly  passed  over.  Chieng-Mai,  the  capital,  was 
visited  by  a  deputation  from  the  Siam  mission  in  1863,  and 
in  1 868  Rev.  Daniel  McGilvary  and  Rev.  Jonathan  Wilson 
came  to  remain.  They  were  soon  encouraged  by  the  con- 
version of  Nan  Inta,  a  man  who  had  thoroughly  studied 
Buddhism  and  was  dissatisfied  with  it,  while  knowing  of 
nothing  to  replace  it.  He  was  much  impressed  by  having 
the  eclipse  of  August  18,  1868,  foretold  by  the  missionary 
a  week  in  advance.  He  found  the  science  of  the  Christians 
disproving  the  fables  of  Buddhism,  and  at  once  began  eagerly 
to  study  the  more  directly  spiritual  truths  connected  with 


294  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Christianity.  He  was  soon  able  to  make  an  intelligent  con- 
fession of  faith  in  Christ,  which  he  maintained  until  his 
death,  in  1882,  and  seven  other  converts  were  baptized 
within  a  few  months.  At  this  point  the  infant  church  was 
brought  to  a  season  of  persecution  and  martyrdom.  The 
King  of  the  L,aos,  who  usually  exercised  full  control  over 
his  own  people,  though  tributary  to  Siam,  began  to  manifest 
the  hostility  which  he  had  thus  far  concealed.  Noi  Soonya 
and  Nan  Chai  were  arrested,  and,  on  being  brought  before 
the  authorities,  confessed  that  they  had  forsaken  Buddhism. 
The  "death-yoke"  was  then  put  around  their  necks,  and  a 
small  rope  was  passed  through  the  holes  in  their  ears  (used 
for  ear-rings  by  all  natives),  and  carried  tightly  over  the 
beam  of  the  house.  After  being  thus  tortured  all  night  they 
were  again  examined  in  the  morning,  but  steadfastly  refused 
to  deny  their  Lord  and  Saviour  even  in  the  face  of  death. 
They  prepared  for  execution  by  praying  unto  Him,  closing 
with  the  words  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit."  Being 
then  taken  off  to  the  jungle,  they  were  clubbed  to  death  by 
the  executioner,  and  one  of  them,  not  dying  quickly  enough, 
was  thrust  through  the  heart  by  a  spear.  The  whole  record 
is  like  one  from  the  apostolic  age,  and  speaks  vividly  of  the 
first  martyrs  and  of  the  same  Lord  by  whose  living  presence 
they  were  sustained. 

The  persecution  which  thus  began  checked  seriously  for 
the  time  any  progress  in  mission  work.  Shortly  after  this, 
the  King  died.  Several  new  converts  were  soon  received, 
and  it  was  found  that  these  cases  of  martyrdom  had  produced 
a  deep  impression  for  good.  Still  later,  in  1878,  another 
crisis  was  encountered,  though  less  serious  in  its  nature. 
The  missionaries  had  decided  to  perform  the  marriage  cere- 
mony between  two  native  Christians  who  had  applied  to 
them,  and  to  do  this  without  making  any  provision  for  the 
customary  feast  to  the  demons.  The  relatives,  who  were  all 
devil- worshippers,  prevented  the  marriage  on  this  account, 
and  the  authorities  supported  them  in  the  refusal.  An  appeal 
was  at  once  made  to  the  King  of  Siam,  which  brought  for 
reply  a  "Proclamation  of  Religious  Liberty  to  the  Laos." 
This  placed  the  whole  matter  on  a  new  basis  and  entirely 
changed  the  conduct  of  the  officials. 

Messrs.  McGilvary  and  Wilson,  with  their  wives,  labored 
alone  until  1883,  when  Dr.  Peoples  and  others  were  sent, 
followed  the  next  year  by  Rev.  Chalmers  Martin.  Since 
then  the  force  has  been  largely  increased  and  the  growth  of 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SIAM   AND    LAOS.  295 

the  church  has  been  constant  and  remarkable.  Great  promi- 
nence has  always  been  given  to  evangelistic  work,  done 
largely  by  native  Christians.  Medical  work  has  accom- 
panied this,  and  preacher  and  healer  together  have  laid 
broad  foundations  for  future  development.  The  first  Laos 
convert  ordained,  Rev.  Nan  Tah,  has  been  greatly  blessed 
in  his  labors;  "a  good  man,  and  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Many  churches  in  distant  provinces  have  grown  up  under 
native  teachers,  with  only  a  yearly  visit  from  a  mission- 
ary. 

By  the  time  teachers  were  sent  for  schools,  there  were 
Christian  parents  ready  to  send  their  children.  Most  of  the 
pupils  came  from  Christian  families,  not  to  learn  English, 
which  is  not  taught,  but  to  receive  a  Christian  education. 

A  training-school  for  evangelists  and  teachers  is  prepar- 
ing the  future  workers  for  the  church.  Its  members  devote 
part  of  each  week  to  practical  work,  in  addition  to  syste- 
matic study  of  the  Bible. 

The  Laos  language  resembles  the  Siamese,  but  the  writ- 
ten characters  are  quite  different.  During  a  visit  to  America 
in  1890,  Dr.  Peoples  had  a  font  of  Laos  type  cast  and  in 
1892  an  old  press  brought  from  Siam  was  set  up,  and  the 
language  printed  for  the  first  time.  Up  to  that  time  all 
books  were  in  Siamese,  which  comparatively  few  Laos  can 
read  with  fluency.  The  Gospels,  Acts  and  Psalms  have  been 
printed,  besides  several  tracts  and  school-books,  a  hymnal 
and  the  Pilgrim's  Progress.  A  new  press  is  greatly 
needed. 

The  Laos  tongue  is  spoken  over  a  large  region  lying 
north  of  our  stations,  reaching  to  the  confines  of  China.  All 
this  field  has  no  missionary,  Catholic  or  Protestant,  and 
offers  a  cordial  welcome  to  the  truth.  The  numerous  tribes 
of  the  highlands  are  not  Buddhists,  but  spirit  worshippers. 
Dr.  McGilvary  spent  two  months  in  visiting  on  foot  one  of 
these  tribes,  the  Moosurs.  and  afterward  baptized  twenty-two 
of  them.  They  have  built  a  chapel  in  their  village  for  their 
daily  use,  and  on  Sunday  go  down  to  the  nearest  Laos 
church.  The  French,  who  claim  this  region,  have  so  far 
shown  a  most  friendly  spirit  to  our  mission  work. 

Chieng-Mai,  the  mother-church  of  the   Laos 

Chieng-Mai       mission  has  sent  out  eight  colonies,  and  has 

now   about   800    members.     This    church    is 

under  the  joint  care  of  Rev.  Howard   Campbell   and   Rev. 

Xan  Tah. 


296  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

The  medical  work  enjoys  the  favor  of  the  Princes  and  all 
in  authority.  The  Governor  has  committed  the  control  of 
vaccination  into  the  hands  of  the  resident  physician. 

The  hospital  does  much  good,  and  is  more  than  self- 
supporting,  and  the  dispensary  pays  the  expenses  of  a  school 
for  the  poor. 

Prayers  are  held  every  evening  on  the  medical  com- 
pound, and  none  leave  the  hospital  without  spiritual  instruc- 
tion. 

A  girls'  boarding-school  has  98  pupils,  with  no  room  for 
others  who  would  come,  and  the  school  for  boys  130.  From 
these  schools  must  come  the  Christian  teachers  for  the 
country  work. 

In  January,  1895,  the  j5rst  Laos  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor  was  formed.  A  convention  was  held  March, 
1896,  in  which  twenty  societies  were  reported,  with  613 
members.  One  delegate  walked  eight  days'  journey,  car- 
rying his  own  food  and  bedding.  The  manifest  power  and 
success  of  the  meetings  are  attributed  to  the  earnest  prayer 
by  which  they  were  preceded. 

Lakawn  was  occupied  in  1885,  by  Dr.  and 
Lakawn  Mrs.     Peoples,    who    established    the     usual 

medical  and  school  work  as  soon  as  possible. 
An  industrial  farm,  begun  in  1891,  with  funds  given  by  the 
children  of  the  home  Church,  has  proved  a  great  success. 
The  rice  raised  pays  all  expenses,  and  the  improved  methods 
taught  are  of  much  value  to  the  people. 

The  Governor  gave  a  fine  site  for  a  hospital,  which 
was  built  in  1893.  In  the  same  year  the  country  was 
smitten  by  a  terrible  famine.  Even  the  seed- rice  was  con- 
sumed, and  many  people  sold  themselves  into  slavery. 
Relief  Committees  were  at  once  formed,  and  by  the  aid  of 
money  sent  from  America,  the  missionaries  were  able  to  dis- 
tribute rice,  both  for  seed  and  food,  and  to  relieve  the  worst 
suffering  until  another  harvest  could  be  gathered.  Nearly 
$10,000  was  expended  in  this  work  of  mercy,  which  did 
much  to  open  the  hearts  of  the  people  to  Christianity. 

Lampoon  {m  silent)  was  occupied  by  Rev. 
Lampoon  Mr.   and  Mrs.  W.  C.   Dodd  and  Rev.  Robert 

Irwin  in  1891.  The  government  gave  a  per- 
petual lease  of  a  fine  property  for  religious  and  medical  pur- 
poses, and  a  church  was  at  once  organized  There  are  now 
over  300  communicants  connected  with  the  station,  and 
many  catechumens.     This  town  is  a  centre  of  work  for  20 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SIAM    AND    LAOS.  297 

villages.       The  churcii  cares  for   its  poor,   meets  its  own 
general  expenses,  and  supports  two  evangelists. 

Praa,  5  days'  journey  east  of  lyakawn,  is  the 
Muang  Praa      centre  of  an  immense  rice-plain   dotted  with 

villages.  The  famine  of  1893  was  especially 
severe  in  this  region,  and  many  heard  of  Christ  through  the 
relief  work.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Briggs  were  the  first  occupants, 
followed  in  1894  by  Rev.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shields.  The 
church  has  44  members,  and  the  evangelistic  and  medical 
work  are  carried  on  vigorously. 

Nan  is  a  beautiful  walled  city  embowered  in 
Nan  trees,  on  the  Nan  River,  15  days'  journey  east 

of  Lakawn.  It  was  visited  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Peoples  in  1894,  but  the  final  occupation  was  delayed  until 
September,  1895.  The  usual  preliminary  work  of  a  new 
station  has  been  successfully  inaugurated. 

Chieng  Hai,  a  large  city  150  miles  north  of 
Chieng  Hai       Chieng-Mai,  is  the  chief  town  of  nearly  1,000,- 

000  of  the  Laos  people,  and  gives  access  to 
many  of  the  hill  tribes.  The  itinerating  work  done  in  this 
region  resulted  in  establishing  three  flourishing  churches. 
In  1897  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Denman  and  Rev.  W.  C.  Dodd  and 
wife  were  appointed  to  Chieng  Hai.  The  native  rulers  wel- 
come the  foreigners,  and  nothing  could  be  kinder  than  the 
treatment  received  from  the  French  Commissioners  in  the 
adjacent  territor5^ 

In  1892,  the  Laos  mission  asked  for  eighteen  workers  to 
supply  the  stations  then  occupied.  Since  then  twenty  have 
been  sent,  but  in  the  meantime  four  have  been  taken  from 
the  force  then  on  the  field.  Many  more  are  now  needed  to 
enter  the  open  doors  on  every  hand.  For  speedy  and  large 
returns  for  labor  no  more  promising  field  is  anywhere  open 
to  the  Church. 

STATISTICS    1897. 

Siam.  Laos. 

Missionaries 26  t,-j 

Nati ve  workers 30  62 

Churches 9  15 

Communicants 343  2,153 

Pupils  in  schools 442  253 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools 263  1,077 


(20) 


298  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

STATIONS  1897. 

SI  AM    MISSION. 

Bangkok,  on  the  River  Menam,  25  miles  from  its  mouth;  occu- 
pied as  a  mission  station,  1S40  to  1844,  and  from  1847  to  the  present 
time;  laborers — Rev.  E.  P.  Dunlap,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Dunlap,  Rev.  J.  A. 
Eakin,  Rev.  F.  L.  Snyder  and  Mrs.  Snyder,  Rev.  J.  B.  Dunlap  and 
Mrs.  Dunlap,  Walter  B.Toy,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Toy,  Rev.  Boon  Boon-Itt, 
Miss  Edna  S.  Cole,  Miss  Elsie  J.  Bates  and  Miss  L,.  J.  Cooper ;  i 
ordained  preacher,  2  evangelists,  10  teachers  and  other  helpers. 

Petchablree,  on  the  western  side  of  the  Gulf  of  Siam,  85  miles 
southwest  of  Bangkok;  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1861;  labor- 
ers—Rev. W.  G.  McClure  and  Mrs.  McClure,  Rev.  Charles  E.  Eckels 
and  Mrs.  Eckels,  Rev.  A.  W.  Cooper  and  Mrs.  Cooper,  James  B. 
Thompson,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Thompson,  Miss  Annabel  Gait,  Miss  E. 
Hitchcock;  i  evangelist,  11  teachers  and  other  helpers. 

RaTBUREE,  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1889;  laborers — 
Rev.  E.  Wachter,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Wachter,  Rev.  F.  I.  L,yman  and 
Mrs.  Lyman;  4  teachers  and  helpers. 

LAOS   MISSION. 

ChienG-Mai,  on  the  Maah-Ping  River,  500  miles  north  of  Bang- 
kok; occupied  as  a  mission  station  1867;  laborers — Rev.  Daniel 
McGilvary,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  McGilvary,  Rev.  D.  G.  Collins  and  Mrs. 
Collins,  Mrs.  Stanlej^  K.  Phraner,  Dr.  James  W.  McKean  and  Mrs. 
McKean,  Rev.  Howard  Campbell  and  Mrs.  Campbell,  Rev.  Wm.  Har- 
ris, Jr.,  Rev.  J.  H.  Freeman,  Misses  I.  A.  Griffin,  Cornelia  H.  McGil- 
vary, Margaret  A.  McGilvary,  and  Hattie  E.  Ghormley,  Rev.  Nan-Tah; 
32  helpers,  17  out-stations. 

Lakawn,  on  the  Maah-Wung  River,  75  miles  southeast  from 
Chieng-Mai;  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1885;  laborers — Rev. 
Jonathan  Wilson,  Rev.  Hugh  Taylor  and  Mrs.  Taylor,  Rev.  L,.  W. 
Curtis  and  Mrs.  Curtis,  Rev.  C.  R.  Callender  and  Mrs.  Callender,  Miss 
Margaret  Wilson;  5  native  helpers,  i  out-station. 

Lampoon,  18  miles  south  of  Chieng-Mai;  occupied  as  a  mission 
station  in  1891;  laborers— Rev.  W.  A.  Briggs,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Briggs; 
native  helpers,  out-stations. 

MUANG  Praa,  on  the  Maa-Yome  River,  125  miles  southeast  from 
Chieng-Mai;  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1893;  laborers — Rev. 
W.  F.  Shields  and  Mrs.  Shields,  Rev.  J.  S.  Thomas,  M.D.,  and  Mrs. 
Thomas,  Miss  Julia  Hatch. 

Nan,  on  the  Maa-Nan  River,  150  miles  east  of  Chieng-Mai;  occu- 
pied as  a  mission  station  in  1894 ;  laborers— Rev.  S.  C.  Peoples,  M.D., 
and  Mrs.  Peoples,  Miss  Mary  A.Bowman,  M.D.,  Miss  Kate  N.  Fleeson. 

Chieng-Hai,  occupied  experimentally  as  a  mission  station  in 
1897;  laborers— Rev.  W.  C.  Dodd  and  Mrs.  Dodd,  Rev.  C.  H.  Den- 
man,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Denman. 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   SI  AM    AND   LAOS. 


299 


Missionaries  in  Siam  and  Laos,  1840-1897. 

*  Died.     Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 


Audersou,  Miss  A.,        1872-1876 
Arthur,  Rev.  R.,  1S71-1S73 

Arthur,  Mrs.,  1871-1S73 

Bates,  Miss  E.  J.,  1892 

Larger,  Rev.  C.  A.,        1887-1891 
Berger,    Mrs.    (Miss 

Van  Euiau),  1S87-1S91 

Boon-Itt,  Rev.  Boon,     1895 

*Buell,  Rev.  Wui.  P  ,     1840-1844 

*Buell,  Mrs.,  1840-1844 

Bush,  Rev.  Stephen,     1849-1853 

*Bush,  Mrs.,  1849-1851 

Garden,  Rev.  P.  L.,        1866-1869 
Garden,  Mrs.,  1866-1866 

Garriugton,  Rev.  John, 1869-1875 
Carringtou,  Mrs.,  1869-1875 

*Goffman,  Miss  S.,  1874-1885 

Cole,  Miss  Edna  S.,       1886 
Gooper,  Rev   A.  W., 

1885-1886;  i8qo 

*Cooper,  Mrs.,  1885-1886 

Gooper,   Mrs.  (Miss  S. 

E.  Parker),  1890 

Cooper,  Miss  L.  J  ,         1890 
Gort,  Miss  M.  L.,  1874-1891 

Culbertsou,  Rev.  J.  N. ,1871-1881 
Culbertson,  Mrs.  (Miss 

B.  Caldwell),  1878-1881 

Dickey,  Miss  E.  S.,       1871-1873 
Dunlap,  Rev.  E.  P.,      1875 
Dunlap,  Mrs.,  1875 

Dunlap,  Rev.  J.  B.,        188S 
Dunlap,    Mrs.     (Miss 

Stoakes,  1888),  1889 

Eakin,  Rev.  John  A.,     1888 

*Eakin,    Mrs.    (Miss 

Olmstead,  1880),         1889-1897 
Eakin,  Miss  E.,  1895 

Eckels,  Rev.  Chas.  E.,  1888 
Eckels.  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 

Gait),  1891 

Gait,  Miss  A.,  1891 

George,  Rev.  S.  C,       I862-1873 
George,  Mrs.,  1862-1873 

Grimstead,  Miss  S.  D.,  1874-1877 
Hartwell,  Miss  M.  E.,  1879-1884 


Hays,  T.  H.,  M.D.,        1886-1891 
Hays,  Mrs.  (Miss  Niel- 
sen, 1884),  1886-1891 
Hitchcock,  Miss  E.,       1892 
House, Rev.S.R.,M.D.,  1847-1876 
House,  Mrs.  H.  N.,        1847-1876 
Lee,  W.  R.,  M.D.,  1890-1891 
Lee.  Mrs.,                         1890-1891 
Lyman,  Rev   F.  I.,        1896      . 
Lyman,  Mrs.,  1896 
McGauley,  Rev.  J.  M. ,1878-1880 
McCauley,  Mrs.  (Miss 

J.  Kooser),  187S-1S80 

McClelland,  Rev.  C.  S.1880-1883 
McClelland,  Mrs.,  1880-1883 

McClure,  Rev.  W.  G.,  1886 
McClure,     Mrs.    (Miss 

M.J.  Henderson, '85),  1886 
McDonald,  Rev.  N.A.,  1860-1887 
*McDonald,  Mrs.,  1860-1887 

McDonald,  Miss  H.  H.,1879-1884 
McDonald,  Miss  Mary,  1881-1887 
McFarland,  Rev.  S.  G.1860-1878 
McFarlaud,  Mrs.,  1860-1878 

*McLaren,  Rev.  G..  D.,   1882- 1883 
*Mattoon,  Rev.  S.,  1847-1866 

*Mattoon,  Mrs.,  1847-1866 

Morse,  Rev.  A.  B.,  1856-1858 
Morse,  Mrs.,  1856-1858 

*Odell,  Mrs.  John  F.,  1863-1864 
Paddock, Benj.B.,M.D.  1888-1890 
Ricketts,  Miss  M.,  1893-1896 
*Small,  Miss  Jennie  M.,  1885-1891 
Snyder,  Rev.  F.  L.,  1890 
Snyder,  Mrs.,  1890 

Sturge,  E.  A.,  M.D.,  1880-1885 
Sturge,  Mrs.,  1881-1885 

Thompson,  J.B.,  M.D.,i886 
Thompson,  Mrs.,  1886 

Toy,  W.  B.,  M.D.,         1891 
Toy,  Mrs.,  i8gi 

Van  Dvke,  Rev.  J.  W.,1869-1887 
Van  Dvke,  Mrs.,  1869-1884 

Wachler,Rev.E.,M.D.,i884 
Wachter,    Mrs.     (Mrs. 
McLaren,  1882),  1886 


Bowman, Miss  M.  M.D.  1S95 
Briggs,  W.  A.,  M.D.,     1890 
*Briggs,  Mrs.,  1890-1891 


Briggs,    Mrs.    (Miss 

King).  1892 

Callender,  Rev.  C.  R.,  1896 


300    HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OP  MISSIONS  IN  SIAM  AND  LAOS. 


Callender,  Mrs.. 

1896 

McGilvary,  Rev.  D., 

1858 

^Campbell,  Miss  M.  M. 

,  1879- 

1881 

McGilvary,  Mrs., 

i860 

Campbell,  Rev.  H., 

1894 

McGilvary,MissC.  H., 

,  1889 

Campbell,  Mrs., 

1894 

McGilvary, Miss  M.  A., 

.1891 

Gary,  A.M.,  M.D., 

1886- 

1888 

McGilvary, Rev.  E.  B., 

1891-1894 

^Cary,  Mrs., 

1886- 

1888 

McGilvary,  Mrs., 

1891-1894 

Cheek,  M.  A.,M.D., 

1875- 

1886 

McKean,  James  W., 

Cheek,  Mrs., 

1875- 

1886 

M.D., 

1889 

Cole,  Miss  Edna  S., 

1879- 

1886 

McKean,  Mrs., 

1889 

CoUius,  Rev.  D.  G., 

1886 

Peoples,  Rev.  S.  C, 

Collins,  Mrs., 

1886 

M.D., 

1883 

Curtis,  Rev.  L.  W., 

1894 

Peoples,  Mrs.  (Miss  S. 

Curtis,  Mrs., 

1894 

Wirt,  1883), 

■  1884 

Denman,  Rev.  C.  H., 

*Phraner,  Rev.  S.  K., 

i89c^i895 

M.D., 

1894 

*Phraner,  Mrs., 

I 890-1 891 

Deuman,  Mrs., 

1894 

Phraner,    Mrs.    (Miss 

Dodd,  Rev.  W.  C, 

1886 

Westervelt), 

1884 

Dodd,  Mrs.  (Miss  Belle 

Shields,  Rev.  W.  F., 

1893 

Eakin.  1887), 

1889 

Shields,  Mrs., 

1893 

Fleeson.Miss  Kate  N. 

,1888 

Taylor,  Rev.  Hugh, 

1888 

Freeman,  Rev.  J.  H., 

1894 

Tavlor,  Mrs., 

1888 

Griffin,  Miss  I.  A., 

1883 

Thomas,  J.  S.,  M.D., 

1893 

Ghormley,  Miss  H.  E. 

.1895 

Thomas,  Mrs., 

1893 

Harris   Rev.  W., 

1895 

*Vrooman,C.W.,M.D. 

, 1871-1873 

Hatch,  Miss  J., 

1893 

Warner,  Miss  A., 

188:^-1885 

Hearst,  Rev.  J.  P., 

1883-1884 

Wilson, Rev.  Jonathan 

,  1858 

Hearst,  Mrs., 

1883- 

1884 

*Wilson,  Mrs.  Maria, 

1858-1865 

Irwin,  Rev.  Robert, 

1890 

*Wilson,  Mrs., 

1866-1880 

Martin, Rev.  Chalmers,  1883- 

1886 

Wilson,  MissM., 

1895     • 

Martin,  Mrs.,  ' 

1883- 

1886 

Books  of  Reference. 


Among  the  Shans.     A.  R.  Colquhoun.     21s. 

A  Thousand  Miles  on  an  Elephant.     Holt  S.  Hallett. 

Buddhism.     T.  W.  Rhys  Davids.     75  cents. 

Eastern  Side ;  or,  Missionary  Life  in  Siam.  Mrs.  F.  R.  Feudge. 
$1.50. 

English  Governess  at  the  Siamese  Court.  Mrs.  A.  H.  Leon- 
owens.     ^1.50. 

Siam.     Bayard  Taylor.     $1.25. 

Siam  and  Laos  as  seen  by  American  Missionaries.     $1.85. 

Siam  ;  its  Government,  Manners  and  Customs.  Rev.  N.  A. 
McDonald.     |i  25. 

Siam  ;  The  Heart  of  Farther  India.     Miss  M.  L.  Cort.     fi.75. 

Siam  ;  or  the  Land  of  the  White  Elephant.     G.  B.  Bacon.     50  cts. 

Temples  and  Elephants  (Upper  Siam  and  Laos).     C.  Bock.     2i.y. 

The  Land  of  the  White  Elephant.     F.  Vincent.     $3.50. 

The  Light  of  Asia  and  the  Light  of  the  World.  S.  H.  Kellogg. 
$1-50 


South  America 


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Tropu 


P.da  UniJblJl::' 
_S.    CATHARif 


S(ia, 


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MAP  OF 

EASTERN  BRAZIL 

/ 

/ 

NAMES 

DF 

CHURCHES. 

1.  Larangeiras. 

A        No.  21    Botucatu. 

•■    22   Tatuhy 

3    Cachoeira. 

4   Campos. 

"    24.  Rio  Novo. 

5.  Petropolis. 

•'    25.  Rio  Pardo 

6    Rio  de  Janeiro. 

•'    26   Itapetimnga. 

8.  Ubatuba, 

9   Sorocaba. 

"    29    Machado. 

10    Lorem 

"    .SO.  Campanha. 

11    Cruzeiiv 

"    31-  Borda  da  Malta. 

13.  R:oClP"o. 

"    33    Areado. 

14.  Dl  ■_  .jiTegos. 

"    34.  Cann  Verde. 

15    S.    Carlos   de   Pinhal. 

"    35  Castro 

16.  Pirassununga, 

"    36    Corytiba. 

"    37.  Campo  Largo. 

19   Araraquara. 

20.  Len^aes. 

* 

?         "    39.  Rio  Grande. 

/ 

/ 

SOUTH  AMERICA. 

South  America,  a  triangular  peninsula  4700  miles  long 
and  over  3000  miles  wide,  stretches  from  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  12°  north  latitude,  to  Cape  Horn  56°  south  lati- 
tude. It  is  nearly  twice  the  size  of  Europe,  including  in  its 
area  about  7,000,000  square  miles,  one-eighth  the  land  sur- 
face of  the  globe,  with  a  coast  line  of  18,000  miles.  It  is 
divided  into  fourteen  countries,  the  smallest  of  which, 
Uruguay,  is  twice  the  size  of  Ireland.  The  population  of 
37,000,000  is  composed  of  a  mixed  people  of  Spanish,  Portu- 
guese, Indian  and  negro  blood. 

It  is  remarkable  for  its  lofty  mountains  and  noble  rivers. 
The  Orinoco  is  greater  than  the  Ganges,  the  Rio  de  la  Plata 
is  2,200  miles  long  and  the  Amazon,  with  its  25,000  miles  of 
navigable  course  from  the  Atlantic  Ocean  to  the  foot  of  the 
Andes,  affords  with  its  tributaries  a  matchless  network  of 
water-waj'.  The  Andes  extend  4500  miles  along  the  entire 
western  coast  with  peaks  of  extraordinary  height. 

Within  this  extended  territory  we  find  every  variety  of 
climate,  varied  and  luxuriant  vegetation,  rich  stores  of  min- 
eral wealth — a  land  on  which  Nature  has  lavished  her  best 
gifts. 

Discovered  by  Columbus  on  his  third  voyage  to  the  New 
World  in  1498,  South  America  was  claimed  as  a  Spanish 
posses.sion,  and  in  consequence  pre-empted  by  the  Roman 
Catholics  for  their  Church.  Although  her  monarchies  are 
now  transformed  into  Republics,  the  blighting  effects  of 
nearly  400  years  of  undisputed  Papal  sway  are  everywhere 
evident  in  the  retarded  development  of  the  country,  and 
the  apathy,  superstition,  and  almost  pagan  ignorance  in 
spiritual  things. 

In  this  vast  field  the  Presbyterian  Board  has  missions  in 
only  thfee  of  the  fourteen  countries,  Brazil,  Chili  and  Colom-  Yenezue 
bia .     '  'There  remaineth  yet  very  much  land  to  be  possessed. ' ' 


Brazil. 


Brazil,  the  only  monarchy  in  America  for  many  years, 
became  a  Republic  in  1889.     It  occupies  nearly  one-half  of 


304  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

South  America,  and  contains  more  than  one-half  of  its  arable 
land.  Lying  between  4°  north  and  33°  south  latitude, 
nearly  the  whole  territory  is  within  the  Torrid  Zone.  It  is 
over  2600  niiles  long  and  2500  broad,  and  has  a  coast  line 
of  4000  miles.  The  area  is  3,220,000  square  miles;  it  is  a 
little  larger  than  the  United  States  without  Alaska. 

Brazil  is  naturally  divided  into  three  distinct  regions;  the 
lowlands  along  the  coast,  where  are  grand  harbors  and  large 
cities;  the  middle  section,  which  has  magnificent  and  fertile 
plateaus  formed  by  abrupt  mountain  ranges  on  the  eastern 
side,  watered  by  the  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  which  pour 
a  mass  of  water  into  the  ocean  greater  than  that  of  all  the 
rivers  of  Europe  combined,  and  those  of  the  River  L,a  Plata; 
and  the  vast  and  unexplored  forest  region  of  the  west.  The 
climate  is  varied.  Within  the  tropics,  the  tendency  is  to 
extreme  heat  accompanied  in  some  parts  by  great  humidity; 
but  on  the  table-land  the  heat  is  modified  by  pure  and  refresh- 
ing breezes,  and  back  on  the  mountain  slopes  one  may  dwell 
in  perpetual  spring.  The  table-lands  and  hill-sides,  with 
unrivalled  navigable  streams  for  internal  communication  and 
commerce,  naturally  fit  it  for  agricultural  purposes. 

Brazil  is  probably  not  surpassed  in  fertility,  in  climate, 
andin  variety  of  useful  natural  products — coffee,  sugar,  cotton, 
india-rubber,  cocoa,  rice,  maize,  manioc,  beans,  bananas, 
yams,  ginger,  lemons,  oranges,  figs,  cocoanuts,  etc.  Per- 
haps no  country  yields  food-products  in  richer  abundance. 
Manioc,  from  which  tapioca  is  made,  is  said  to  yield  six 
times  as  much  nutriment  to  the  acre  as  w^heat.  There  are 
herds  of  wild  cattle  on  the  plains,  game  in  the  woods,  and 
fish  in  the  waters,  vast  forests  of  rare  growth  and  variety, 
wood  of  great  excellence  and  beauty  for  all  kinds  of  cabinet 
work,  timber  and  lumber  for  all  building  purposes.  Brazil 
abounds  also  in  choice  minerals,  precious  metals  and  fossil 
remains.  Gold,  silver,  iron,  lead  and  precious  stones  are 
abundant;  indeed,  the  field  for  diamonds  is  the  richest  in 
the  world.  One  diamond  has  been  found  there  worth  $250,- 
000.  But  the  vast  wealth  of  the  State  is  found  not  in  her 
rich  stores  of  precious  minerals  and  metals,  but  in  her  fruit- 
ful soil  and  exports  of  tropical  productions.  Her  traffic  in 
sugar  and  coffee,  under  almost  ruinous  export  duties, 
amounted  to  more  in  a  single  year  than  all  the  diamonds 
gathered  within  this  century. 

The  inhabitants  include  whites,  Indians  and  negroes. 
The  whites  consist  largely  of  the  descendants  of  the  Portu- 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SOUTH    AMERICA.  305 

guese,  and,  like  the  people  of  the  United  States  of  America, 
they  have  pushed  the  Indians  back  from  the  coast,  while  tlie 
negroes  are  found  everywhere;  but  the  three  races  are  exten- 
sively mixed  by  intermarriage. 

The  Portuguese  language  closely  resembles  the  Spanish. 
Mr.  Blackford,  of  the  Brazil  mission,  says:  "  It  is  a  beauti- 
ful language,  and  has  been  appropriately  styled  the  eldest 
daughter  of  the  Latin.  It  is  compact,  expressive,  flexible 
and  well  adapted  for  oratory  and  literature." 

During  the  monarchy  education  in  Brazil  was  very 
deficient;  notwithstanding  the  Emperor's  enlightened  views 
and  policy,  in  1874,  only  25  per  cent,  of  the  children  were 
being  educated.  Since  the  establishment  of  the  Republic 
there  has  been  marked  progress  in  educational  reform  and  the 
people  are  eager  to  accept  every  advantage  for  the  education 
of  their  children. 

Brazil  was  accidentally  discovered  by  Vincente  Yanes 
Pin(;on,  a  companion  of  Columbus,  May  3,  1500,  and  was 
first  colonized  by  the  Portuguese  in  1531. 

From  1531  to  1822,  Brazil  was  a  province  of  Portugal, 
and  was  governed  by  a  ruler  from  the  mother  country. 
' '  When  Portugal  was  invaded  by  the  French  in  1 807 ,  the 
sovereign  of  that  kingdom,  John  VI.,  sailed  for  Brazil, 
accompanied  by  his  family  and  court.  Soon  after  his  arrival 
he  placed  the  administration  on  a  better  footing,  threw  open 
the  ports  to  all  nations,  and  improved  the  condition  of  the 
country  generally.  On  the  fall  of  Bonaparte,  the  King 
raised  Brazil  to  the  rank  of  a  kingdom,  and  assumed  the 
title  of  King  of  Portugal,  Algarve  and  Brazil.  A  revolu- 
tion in  1820  led  the  King  to  return  to  Portugal,  and  he  left 
Pedro,  his  eldest  son,  as  regent.  In  1822  Dom  Pedro,  forced 
by  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  Brazilians  for  complete  inde- 
pendence, and  not  wishing  the  control  of  Brazil  to  go  outside 
of  his  family,  declared  Brazil  a  free  and  independent  State, 
assumed  the  title  of  Emperor,  and  was  recognized  hy  the 
King  of  Portugal  in  1S25.  A  series  of  disturbances  and 
general  dissatisfaction  throughout  the  empire  ended  in  the 
abdication  of  Dom  Pedro  I.,  wdio  left  Brazil  April  7th,  1831, 
leaving  a  son  who  was  under  age  as  his  successor.  The 
rights  of  the  latter  were  recognized  and  protected  and  a 
regency  of  three  persons  was  appointed  by  the  chamber  of 
deputies  to  conduct  the  government  during  his  minority. 
In  1840,  the  young  F^mperor  was  declared  of  age,  being  then 
in   his  fifteenth  year,  and   was  crowned  July  18,  1841,"  as 


3o6  HISTORICAI.  SKETCH   OF 

Dom  Pedro  II.  In  1866  Dom  Pedro  emancipated  the  slaves 
of  the  government,  and  in  1871  the  I^egislature  authorized 
a  bill,  the  effect  of  which  would  be  gradual  emancipation 
throughout  the  empire.  Freedom  was  proclaimed  to  all  in 
1888. 

In  1876  the  Emperor  visited  the  United  States  of  America 
and  attended  the  great  Exposition  in  Philadelphia,  saw  our 
schools  and  our  manufactories,  studied  our  institutions  and 
civilization  generally,  and  returned  to  apply  his  acquire- 
ments for  the  nation's  good.  The  whole  country  made  a 
decided  advance  during  his  reign. 

In  i860  the  population  of  Brazil  was  9,000,000,  includ- 
ing more  than  i  ,000,000  negro  slaves,  but  excluding  Indians; 
religious  tolerance  existed  only  in  name;  the  Roman  Church 
was  a  department  of  State  and  Jesuits  controlled  education, 
hospitals,  public  charities;  social  purity  was  tainted  by  a 
dissolute  priesthood;  communication  with  the  interior  was 
by  mule-back;  there  were  only  sixty  miles  of  railroad;  two 
monthly  steamers  and  a  few  sailing  vessels  afforded  the  only 
communication  with  Europe;  the  postage  of  a  letter  to  the 
United  States  was  45  cents  and  the  time  45  days  Now  the 
population  is  over  14,000,000;  there  are  5000  miles  of  rail- 
way, 12,000  miles  of  telegraph,  two  trans- Atlantic  cables 
and  twelve  lines  of  trans- Atlantic  steamers. 

On  November  15th,  1889,  occurred  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  revolutions  known  in  history;  the  monarchy  was 
overturned  with  little  opposition  and  no  blood-shed,  the 
Emperor  and  imperial  family  were  exiled,  Brazil  was  pro- 
claimed a  Republic,  and  the  people  quietly  accepted  the 
decrees  of  the  Provisional  Government. 

One  year  later  the  Brazilian  Constitution,  modelled  upon 
that  of  the  United  States  of  America,  was  adopted,  a  new 
President  and  Cabinet  elected  and  the  government  of  the 
United  States  of  Brazil  established  on  a  sure  basis.  The 
new  constitution  authorizes  ' '  Separation  of  Church  and 
State ;  Secularity  of  Public  Cemeteries ;  the  Rite  of  Civil 
Marriage,  and  Religious  Liberty" — "All  religious  denomi- 
nations have  equally  the  right  to  liberty  of  worship." 

In  1893-6  an  attempt  to  overthrow  the  Republic  was 
made  by  monarchical  sympathizers  backed  by  the  priests. 
It  was,  however,  frustrated  by  the  energy  of  the  government 
leaders  after  a  severe  struggle.  The  country  is  still  in  an 
unsettled  condition  politically  and  financially,  and  the  gen- 
eral unrest  is  unfavorable  to  religious  work.     At  the  same 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   SOUTH   AMICRICA.  307 

time  the  priests,  now  directly  dependent  upon  the  people 
through  the  withdrawal  of  government  support,  are  putting 
forth  unprecedented  efforts  to  regain  their  influence,  not 
altogether  without  success.  Nevertheless  the  opening  of 
the  doors  is  wider  than  ever  before  and  the  pure  gospel  may- 
be preached  and  taught  with  absolute  freedom. 

Protestant  Missions  in  Brazil. 

The  first  effort  to  evangelize  Brazil  was  made  by  the 
Huguenots  in  1555,  twenty-four  years  after  the  Portuguese 
colonized  the  country.  Admiral  Colignj',  of  France,  who 
bravely  supported  the  Protestant  cause,  and  was  basely 
assassinated  on  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  1572,  planned  a 
colony  of  Protestants  on  the  coast  of  Brazil  as  a  refuge  for 
the  persecuted  Huguenots.  They"  sailed  from  Havre  de 
Grace  in  1555,  to  what  is  now  the  harbor  of  Rio  de  Janeiro, 
and  settled  on  the  island  of  Villegagnon.  Calvin  and  his 
friends  at  Geneva  sent  them  religious  teachers;  but  the  colony 
was  short-lived.  Persecution  did  its  work,  and  some  returned, 
some   were   put  to   death  and  others   fled  to  the    Indians. 

"Amongst  the  latter  was  one  named  Jean  de  Boileau,  who  is 
noted,  even  in  the  annals  of  the  Jesuits-,  as  a  man  of  considerable 
learning,  being  well  versed  in  both  Greek  and  Hebrew.  Escaping 
from  Villegagnon,  Jean  de  Boileau  went  to  St.  Vincente,  near  the 
present  site  of  Santos,  the  chief  seaport  of  the  province  of  Sao  Paulo, 
the  earliest  Portuguese  settlement  in  that  part  of  the  country,  and 
where  the  Jesuits  had  a  colony  of  Indians  catechised  according  to 
their  mode.  According  to  the  Jesuit  chroniclers  themselves,  the 
Huguenot  minister  preached  with  such  boldness,  eloquence,  erudition, 
that  he  was  likely  to  pervert,  as  they  term  it,  great  numbers  of  their 
adepts.  Unable  to  withstand  him  by  arguments,  they  resorted  to 
Rome's  ever-favorite  reasoning,  and  caused  him  to  be  arrested  with 
several  of  his  companions.  Jean  de  Boileau  was  taken  to  Bahia,  about 
a  thousand  miles  distant,  where  he  lay  in  prison  eight  years.  When, 
in  1567,  the  Portuguese  finally  succeeded  in  expelling  the  French  from 
that  part  of  their  dominions,  the  Governor,  Mem  de  Sa,  sent  for  the 
Huguenot  prisoner,  and  had  him  put  to  death  on  the  present  site  of 
the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  in  order,  it  was  said,  to  terrify  his  country- 
men if  any  of  them  should  be  lurking  in  those  parts.  The  Jesuits 
boast  that  Anchieta,  their  great  apostle  in  Brazil,  succeeded  in  winning 
the  heretic  to  the  papal  faith  on  the  eve  of  his  execution,  and  then 
helped  the  hangman  dispatch  him  as  quickly  as  possible,  so  as  to 
hurry  him  off  to  glory  before  he  could  have  time  to  recant." — Sketch  of 
Brazil  Mission,  by  Rev.  A.  L.  Blackford. 

From  1624  to  1654,  the  Dutch  settled  along  the  north- 
ern coast  and  did  some  mission  work  among  the  Indians  ; 
but   the   work   ceased  with  the  expulsion    of   the    Dutch. 


308  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

About  1855  Dr.  Kalley,  a  pious  Scotch  physician,  went  to 
Rio  de  Janeiro  and  began  an  independent  work  of  circulat- 
ing the  Bible  and  tracts,  and  preaching.  The  result  has 
been  two  independent  Protestant  churches,  one  in  Rio  and 
the  other  in  Pernambuco.  In  1836  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church  sent  the  Rev.  Mr.  Spaulding  to  Rio  de 
Janeiro.  The  Rev.  D.  P.  Kidder  joined  him  in  1838.  In 
1840  Mrs.  Kidder  died,  and  Dr.  Kidder  returned  home. 
Financial  difficulties  caused  the  abandonment  of  the  mis- 
sion in  1842. 

About  1 85 1  Rev.  J.  C.  Fletcher  was  sent  to  Rio  by  the 
American  and  Foreign  Christian  Union,  and  the  Seaman's 
Friend  Society,  but  he  remained  only  a  short  time.  The 
Protestant  Episcopal  Church  of  the  United  States  main- 
tained a  missionary  in  Brazil  from  i860  to  1864.  In  1889 
they  renewed  the  mission,  and  occupied  Porto  Alegre,  the 
capital  of  Rio  Grande  do  Sul. 

The  first  missionaries  of  the  Southern  Presbyterians 
(U.S.)  came  to  Brazil  in  1869,  and  began  their  work  at 
Campinas. 

The  Methodist  Church  (South)  began  work  in  1876,  and 
were  followed  by  the  Southern  Baptists  in  188 1. 

A  representative  of  Bishop  Taylor's  Mission  (Metho- 
dist) has  labored  for  some  years  at  Para. 

Presbyterian  Missions. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  the  metropolis  of  Brazil,  with 
Rio  de  Janeiro  a  population  of  nearly  half  a  million,  the 
capital  of  the  Republic  and  seat  of  the  Na- 
tional Parliament,  was  wisely  chosen  as  the  centre  of  the 
missionary  operations  inaugurated  by  our  Board  in  1859. 

The  first  missionary  was  the  Rev.  Ashbel  Green  Simon- 
ton,  a  man  peculiarly  qualified  for  the  pioneer  missionary 
work,  from  his  scholarly  attainments,  gentle  manners, 
sturdy  and  sterling  Christian  character.  He  was  always 
deservedly  popular  with  Brazilians,  and  to  his  wisdom  and 
faithful  foundation  work  the  success  of  the  Brazil  Mission  is 
largely  due. 

In  the  following  year  Mr.  Simonton  was  joined  by  his 
brother-in-law,  the  Rev.  A.  L,.  Blackford,  who  afterward 
took  up  the  work  in  the  capital  city  of  the  neighbor- 
ing province  of  Sao  Paulo,  whence  he  returned  to  Rio 
upon  Mr.  Simonton 's  death  in  1867. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  309 

From  the  beginning,  the  two  principal  lines  of  mission- 
ary activity  in  the  city  of  Rio  have  been  the  pulpit  and  the 
Press,  in  both  of  which  departments  Mr.  Simonton,  as  long 
as  his  life  was  spared,  took  the  lead.  As  soon  as  he  was 
able  to  speak  Portuguese  with  some  facility  Mr.  Simonton 
commenced  preaching  in  a  small  third-story  room  in  the 
centre  of  the  city  ;  his  first  audience  consisting  of  two  men 
who  had  been  his  pupils  in  English.  From  that  small 
beginning  the  work  has  increased  until  now  it  is  self-sus- 
taining, and  large  audiences  gather  every  Sabbath  in  the 
beautiful  stone  church,  capable  of  accommodating  some  700 
people,  in  the  very  centre  of  the  city,  and  within  a  few 
hundred  feet  of  one  of  its  most  important  public  squares. 

Owing  to  its  metropolitan  character  the  city  of  Rio  has 
proved  a  very  important  centre  for  the  dissemination  of 
religious  truth.  There  are  always  a  number  of  strangers 
present  at  the  services,  and  in  many  cases  those  from  far- 
distant  provinces,  having  come  to  Rio  upon  business  or  in 
attendance  upon  the  Parliament,  have  thus  heard  the  truth 
and  carried  the  news  of  the  gospel  to  their  far-away  homes. 
There  are  numerous  gatherings  of  believers  in  the  suburbs 
where  weekly  services  are  conducted  by  the  missionaries. 
The  most  important  are  those  of  Nichteroy  and  Riachuelo, 
at  both  of  which  points  there  are  organized  churches.  At 
the  very  outset  of  his  work,  as  a  means  of  reaching  the 
public  and  informing  them  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel, 
Mr.  Simonton  commenced  the  publication  of  a  weekly 
religious  journal,  called  \.\\^Imprensa  Evaugelica,  or  "  Evan- 
gelic Press,"  which,  though  largely  controversial,  con- 
tained much  positive  instruction  in  evangelical  religion,  and 
became  a  powerful  instrument  for  good.  Frequent  instances 
are  recorded  of  individual  conversions  and  even  of  churches 
established  through  its  instrumentality.  The  Iwprensa  con- 
tinued to  be  published  in  Rio,  under  the  care  of  the  mis- 
sionary staff,  until  18S1,  when  it  was  transferred  to  Sao 
Paulo,  where  it  was  issued  for  many  years. 

Most  of  the  evangelical  literature  in  circulation  was  also 
published  under  the  direction  of  the  missionaries  at  Rio. 
consisting  of  hymn-books,  controversial  and  devotional 
works.  A  large  book-store  was  maintained  by  the  mission- 
aries and  thousands  of  volumes  sent  to  all  parts  of  the 
country.  Rio  is  still  the  distributing  centre  for  religious 
literature,  but  the  work  is  now  done  by  the  agent  of  the 
British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  who  keeps  in  stock  a  full 


3IO  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

line  of  Presbyterian  publications,  and  receives  a  commission 
on  sales. 

The  conditions  have  not  seemed  favorable  to  any  great 
development  of  the  educational  work  in  Rio.  Small  paro- 
chial schools  have  been  carried  on,  with  at  the  most  some 
50  pupils. 

At  one  time  the  four  young  Brazilians  who  afterward 
became  the  first  ordained  native  ministers,  and  had  a  very 
prominent  part  in  the  development  of  the  work,  studied  at 
Rio  under  Messrs.  Simonton,  Blackford  and  Schneider. 

Besides  Mr.  Simonton  and  Mr.  Blackford,  other  mission- 
aries working  for  some  time  at  Rio  were  the  Rev.  Messrs. 
Schneider,  Vanorden,  Hazlett,  Houston  and  Kyle. 

The  Rev.  J.  B.  Rodgers,  who  after  some  years  of  service 
here  removed  to  a  suburb,  Riachuelo,  to  build  up  a  new 
work,  has  lately  been  recalled  to  the  Rio  church  in  the 
absence  of  a  native  pastor. 

At  different  times  three  converted  priests  have  been  con- 
nected with  the  church  in  Rio  and  have  taken  more  or  less 
prominent  part  in  the  religious  work.  One  of  these,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  L,ino,  after  having  been  regularly  licensed  and 
ordained  by  the  Presbytery  served  as  pastor  of  the  principal 
church  for  some  years,  succeeding  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Trojano, 
who  for  fifteen  years  held  that  position. 

In  1888  our  mission  joined  hands  with  that  of 
the  Southern  Presbyterian  Church,  which  had  been  en- 
gaged in  work  in  Brazil  about  fifteen  years,  and  the  Synod 
of  Brazil  was  formed.  In  the  fields  occupied  by  our  mission 
there  were  34  organized  churches  and  in  those  of  the  Southern 
Mission  18,  making  an  aggregate  of  52  churches,  which 
were  divided  into  four  Presbyteries.  This  Synod  meets 
every  three  years. 

After  the  dissolution  of  the  Second  Presbyte- 
Novo  Friburgo  rian  Church  of  Rio  de  Janeiro,  of  which  he 
was  the  only  pastor,  the  Rev.  J.  M.  Kyle,  who 
had  labored  in  the  city  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  since  his  arrival  in 
the  country  in  1882,  removed  to  Novo  Friburgo,  a  health 
resort  in  the  mountains  about  40  miles  to  the  east  of  Rio. 
From  this  point  as  a  centre,  availing  himself  of  the  facili- 
ties afforded  by  the  Leopoldina  R.  R.,  which  extends  1200 
miles  into  the  interior,  Mr.  Kyle  has  done  itinerant  work  in 
the  neighboring  portions  of  the  States  of  Rio  de  Janeiro 
and  Minas,  having  also  under  his  charge  the  church  of 
Campos.     During  the  two  years  when  the  Synodical  Semi- 


THE   MISSIONS   IN   SOUTH    AMERICA.  3II 

nary  was  located  tentatively  at  Novo  Friburgo,  Mr.  Kyle, 
associated  with  the  Rev.  J.  R.  Smith,  D.D.,  taught  the 
half-dozen  Brazilian  youth  who  came  there  for  instruc- 
tion. In  addition  to  his  other  work  Mr.  Kyle  has  made 
important  additions  to  the  Protestant  theological  literature 
of  Brazil.  Barrow's  "Biblical  Interpretation,"  Hodge's 
"  Outlines  of  Theolog}',"  and  other  minor  works  have  been 
translated  by  him  or  under  his  direction,  and  published  by 
funds  secured  through  his  efforts.  The  church  growth  in 
this  field  has  been  small. 

Other  out-stations  supervised  from  the  capital  are  Petro- 
polis,  Ubatuba,  Rezende,  Campos,  Lorena,  etc.,  at  which 
churches  have  been  organized,  and  work  carried  on  by  the 
aid  of  native  helpers. 

The  city  of  Sao  Paulo  is  the  capital  of  the 
Sao  Paulo  State  of  Sao  Paulo.  It  was  occupied  as  a 
mission  field  in  1863.  At  that  time  it  was  a 
city  of  from  15,000  to  20,000  inhabitants,  without  railways, 
gas  or  any  of  the  appointments  of  modern  civilized-  com- 
munities. To-day  it  has  125,000  inhabitants  and  is  a  great 
railway  centre.  It  has  daily  railway  service  to  Rio,  300 
miles  distant,  and  several  trains  a  day  to  Santos,  the  sea- 
port, 45  miles  away,  and  is  supplied  with  gas,  electric 
lights,  water,  street  cars  and  other  appointments  of  a 
modern  city.  In  place  of  the  old-time  schools,  held  in 
private  houses,  and  teaching  only  the  catechism  and  primary 
studies,  we  now  find  large  and  handsome  public  school 
buildings  and  a  system  of  instruction  modeled  upon  that  of 
the  United  States,  as  well  as  high,  model,  and  normal 
schools  which  compare  favorably  as  to  buildings,  equipment 
and  teaching  with  those  of  some  of  our  large  American 
cities. 

The  State  of  Sao  Paulo  with  a  population  of  1,570,000, 
770,000  of  whom  are  foreigners,  is  the  great  coffee-produc- 
ing State  of  the  Republic,  having  large  tracts  of  the  inex- 
haustible red  lands  on  which  the  coffee  plant  thrives.  In 
extent  it  is  nearly  equal  to  the  combined  areas  of  the  States 
of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  The  prosperity  of  the 
State  has  attracted  the  best  elements  from  the  other  States, 
and  it  is  one  of  the  strongholds  of  the  Republic. 

The  city,  situated  on  the  hills  that  rise  from  the  banks  of 
the  Tiete,  was  founded  by  the  Jesuits  in  1554.  It  is  2700 
feet  above  sea  level,  and  is  exceptionall}'  healthy. 

In  1863  Sao  Paulo  was  occupied  as  a  mission  station  by 


312  HISTORICAT.   SKETCH    OF 

Rev.  A.  L,.  Blackford,  who  remained  here  until  1867.  Rev. 
G.  W.  Chamberlain  remained  in  charge  of  the  work  at  this 
point  and  ministered  to  the  church  through  nearly  the  whole 
of  its  historj^  until  it  became  self-supporting  and  called  a 
native  pastor.  Rev.  J.  B.  Howell  was  his  co-laborer  in 
this  work  during  ten  years  from  1874  84. 

In  1865  the  Presbytery  of  Rio  de  Janeiro  was  organized 
at  Sao  Paulo,  consisting  of  Revs.  A.  G.  Simonton,  A.  I,. 
Blackford,  F.  J.  C.  Schneider  and  Senhor  Conceirao,  a  con- 
verted Roman  priest,  just  then  ordained.  Being  the  seat 
of  a  large  law  school,  attended  by  some  600  students  from 
all  parts  of  the  country,  and  for  other  reasons,  Sao  Paulo 
was  early  chosen  as  the  educational  centre  of  the  mission 
work  in  Brazil.  The  beginning  in  this  line  was  made  by 
Mrs.  G.  W.  Chamberlain,  who  gathered  a  dozen  or  more  of 
the  children  of  church  people  in  one  of  the  rooms  of  her 
house.  Native  ladies  were  afterward  employed  as  teachers, 
and  the  attendance  increased.  The  greatest  impulse  was 
given' to  the  work,  however,  by  the  erection  of  appropriate 
buildings  in  1875  from  funds  collected  in  the  United  States 
by  Mr.  Chamberlain  for  a  training  school  for  native  teach- 
ers and  ministers.  During  the  succeeding  ten  years,  under 
the  joint  superintendence  of  the  Rev.  Messrs.  G.  W.  Cham- 
berlain and  J.  B.  Howell,  a  primary,  intermediate  and  high 
school  course  was  organized,  and  the  attendance  increased  to 
over  150. 

In  1886  Horace  M.  I^ane,  M.D.,  by  special  appointment 
assumed  the  superintendence,  and  since  then  the  school  has 
had  a  phenomenal  growth,  until  at  present  the  day-school 
has  an  attendance  of  500  pupils,  150  being  foreigners,  rep- 
resenting 7  different  nationalities  of  both  sexes,  and  is  entirely 
self-supporting.  The  school  is  graded  from  the  lowest 
primary  to  the  high  and  normal  departments.  The  work  is 
carefully  developed  on  the  American  plan,  and  there  is  an 
efficient  corps  of  native  and  foreign  teachers,  the  natives 
having  been  trained  in  the  normal  department  of  the  school 
itself.     The  Bible  is  faithfully  taught  in  all  departments. 

The  Girls'  Boarding-school  was  opened  in  their  own 
home  by  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Howell  and  wife,  assisted  b}^  Miss 
E.  Kuhl  in  1878,  and  continued  under  their  care  for  three 
years.  Then  it  was  transferred  to  the  mission  building  and 
put  under  the  care  of  Misses  Ella  Kuhl  and  M.  P.  Dascomb, 
under  whose  efficient  management  it  continued  until  they 
removed  to  Curityba  in  1891  to  inaugurate  the  educational 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SOUTH    AMERICA.  313 

work  for  girls  in  the  State  of  Parana.  It  still  continues  in 
the  same  group  of  buildings  as  the  day-school  and  has  been 
since  that  time  successiveh'  under  the  management  of  Misses 
E.  R.  Williamson  and  M.  K.  Scott,  the  latter  of  whom  has 
also  had  charge  of  the  normal  department  of  the  day-school. 

The  Boys'  Boarding  Department  located  about  a  mile 
from  the  central  school  buildings,  on  property  donated  to 
the  mission  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain,  has  been  succes- 
sively under  the  care  of  Dr.  Lane  and  Rev.  W.  A.  Waddell. 
Mr.  Waddell  is  laboring  as  professor  in  Mackenzie  College 
and  engages  in  such  evangelistic  work  as  time  permits. 

In  1887  Miss  P.  R.  Thomas,  a  self-supporting  mission- 
ary under  the  auspices  of  the  Woman's  Society  of  Phila- 
delphia, established  a  kindergarten  in  Sao  Paulo,  which  was 
the  first  school  of  the  kind  in  Brazil.  The  school  under 
Miss  Thomas's  direction  was  very  successful  in  reaching 
many  of  the  best  and  wealthiest  families  in  the  cit}^  and 
sowing  seed  of  gospel  truth  in  places  which  had  otherwise 
been  inaccessible. 

After  twelve  years  of  enthusiastic  and  profitable  labor 
Miss  Thomas,  leaving  Miss  Mar}^  Lenington  in  charge, 
returned  to  America  with  greatly  impaired  health,  and  died 
June,  1890. 

Completeness  is  given  to  the  educational  scheme  in  Sao 
Paulo  by  Mackenzie  College,  an  institution  designed  to  afford 
to  Brazilian  youth  the  advantages  offered  by  the  best  of 
American  colleges,  under  Christian  auspices.  It  is  entirely 
independent  of  the  mission,  although  two  of  its  Board  of 
Directors,  all  of  whom  reside  in  the  United  States,  are  also 
members  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  and  the  salaries 
of  the  President  and  one  or  more  of  the  professors  are,  at 
present  paid  by  the  Foreign  Board. 

In  the  year  1896  handsome  and  substantial  buildings 
costing  $42,000,  contributed  by  John  T.  Mackenzie  of  the 
United  States,  were  completed  and  occupied.  The  College 
curriculum  was  inaugurated  and  Freshman  and  Sophomore 
classes  organized. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  work  in  Sao  Paulo  the  mis- 
sionaries at  this  point  have  had  students  for  the  ministry 
under  their  care,  and  theological  instruction  has  been  given 
with  more  or  less  regularity  and  thoroughness  as  the  work- 
ing force  and  the  demands  of  other  departments  permitted. 

The  Synod  of  Brazil  at  its  first  meeting  in  1888,  recog- 
nizing the  great  need  of  systematic  theological  instruction, 
(21) 


314  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

ordered  the  establishment  of  a  Synodical  Theological  Semi- 
nary, appointed  directors  and  elected  professors.  After 
many  years  of  discussion,  and  abortive  attempts  to  locate  in 
other  places,  this  Seminary,  with  a  preparatory  department 
connected  with  it,  is  now  established  in  Sao  Paulo,  occupy- 
ing a  building  provided  by  funds  raised  in  the  Brazilian 
church,  and  supported  by  contributions  from  the  same  source, 
one  of  the  professors  being  paid  by  the  Southern  Presby- 
terian Board  of  Missions. 

The  Estaiidarte ,  the  successor  of  the  Imprensa  Evangelica, 
the  Protestant  religious  weekly,  is  also  now  located  at  Sao 
Paulo.  The  Rev.  Eduardo  Pereira,  pastor  of  the  Sao  Paulo 
Church,  and  also  one  of  the  Theological  professors,  is  the 
editor,  and  all  the  funds  necessary  for  its  support  are  pro- 
vided by  the  Brazilian  church. 

The  Brazilian  Presbyterian  Church  in  Sao  Paulo  has  a 
large  membership  and  is  entirely  self-supporting.  It  owns 
a  handsome  church  and  parsonage  and  contributes  a  large 
amount  annually  to  the  general  work  in  Brazil. 

The  Second  Presbyterian  Church,  organized  by  the  mis- 
sionaries after  the  First  Church  called  a  native  pastor,  reaches 
a  rather  different  constituency.  It  has  now  a  Brazilian  pas- 
tor, the  Rev.  M.  P.  B.  de  Carvalhosa,  supported  by  the 
Board . 

Sao  Paulo  has  always  been  the  centre  of  colporteur  and 
itinerant  work  for  the  whole  State.  In  addition  to  those 
already  mentioned  the  following  missionaries  have,  at  differ- 
ent times,  been  connected  with  the  work  there:  Revs.  E.  M. 
Pires,  H.  W.  McKee,  R.  Lenington,  D.  E.  McLaren,  T.  J. 
Porter,  F.  J.  Perkins. 

In  1863  amission  was  established  at  Rio  Claro, 
Rio  Claro  a  city  400  miles  west  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  at 

that  time  the  centre  of  a  large  German  popula- 
tion. The  Rev.  F.  J.  C.  Schneider  was  stationed  among 
them  ;  but  as  "he  would  not  administer  the  sacrament  with- 
out regard  to  the  moral  condition  and  fitness  of  the  appli- 
cants, he  had  to  encounter  opposition."  Discouraged,  he 
returned  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  the  station  for  a  time 
remained  vacant. 

The  Rev.  J.  F.  Dagama  moved  to  this  place  from  Brotas 
in  1873.  Miss  Mary  P.  Dascomb,  who  after  two  or  three 
years  in  Rio  de  Janeiro  had  in  1872  gone  to  help  in  school 
work  in  Brotas,  accompanied  him  and  opened  a  day-school 
under  his  direction,  which,  from  the  first  was  very  success- 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMICRICA.  315 

fill.  Miss  Ella  Kiihl,  who  reached  Rio  Claro  in  1874.  also 
engaged  in  school  work  until  her  departure  to  Sao  Paulo  in 
1877. 

In  1S76  Miss  Dascomb  was  called  home  by  the  illness  of 
her  parents.  The  same  year  Mr.  Dagama,  aided  by  his 
daughters  (at  mission  expense,  though  in  buildings  upon 
property  owned  by  himself),  opened  a  boarding-school, 
designed  for  the  education  of  needy  and  orphaned  children. 
The  school  was  conducted  upon  the  most  economical  basis, 
the  greater  part  of  the  necessary  work  being  done  by  the 
pupils  themselves.  During  the  ten  years'  existence  of  this 
school,  with  an  average  attendance  of  about  30,  not  only 
was  a  good  primary  education  given  to  many  children  of  native 
Christians  who  would  not  otherwise  have  received  it,  but  a 
considerable  number  of  those  who  afterward  became  useful 
teachers  and  preachers  laid  theie  the  foundation  of  their 
education. 

From  Rio  Claro  as  a  centre  Mr.  Dagama  not  only  cared 
for  the  Brotas  district,  but  by  almost  continuous  itinerating 
opened  up  a  large  section  in  what  may  be  called  the  Pirrasa- 
nunga  district,  in  which  there  are  now  several  important 
churches.  •  With  Mr.  Dagama 's  withdrawal  from  the  mission 
in  1 89 1,  Rio  Claro  ceased  to  be  a  mission  station,  the 
churches  included  in  it  being  left  to  the  care  of  the  Presb}^- 
tery,  and  to  the  support  of  the  natives. 

Mr.  Dagama  still  lives  in  Rio  Claro  and  at  his  own 
expense  maintains  a  day-school  and  regular  preaching 
services . 

The  Rev.  W.  A.  Carrington  came  to  Rio  Claro  in  1890, 
but  before  he  was  able  to  take  part  in  the  work  was  obliged 
to  return  to  the  United  States  on  account  of  the  death  of  his 
wife,  from  yellow  fever. 

Brotas,  an  unimportant  inland  town,  170  miles 
Brotas  northwest  from  Sao  Paulo,   was  occupied  by 

the  Rev.  Robert  Lenington  as  a  mission  station 
in  1865.  The  seed  of  evangelical  truth  had  been  sown  in  this 
town  and  vicinity  by  J.  M.  da  Conceirao,  the  former  Roman 
Catholic  vicar  of  this  parish,  who  for  some  years  l^efore  his 
severance  from  the  Roman  Church  had  accepted  and  taught 
from  his  pulpit  fundamental  evangelical  truth. 

His  evangelical  proclivities  having  become  known  to  the 
missionaries  in  Sao  Paulo  about  the  year  1S62,  books  and 
tracts,  including  some  Bibles,  were  sent  him,  and  by  him 
distributed  among  his  people.     In  response  to  repeated  and 


3l6  HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF 

urgent  calls  this  field  was  visited  in  1865  by  the  Revs.  Black- 
ford, Chamberlain,  and  Schneider  At  that  time  there  were 
no  railroads  beyond  Sao  Paulo  and  the  trip  involved  a  tedi- 
ous and  laborious  ride  on  horses  or  mules  over  rough  and 
mountainous  roads.  Under  the  direction  of  the  missionaries, 
native  helpers  carried  the  gospel  from  house  to  house  through 
all  that  section.  The  Spirit  of  God  had  been  there  preparing 
the  way,  and  was  present  to  seal  his  word  on  the  hearts  of 
men.  The  desperadoes  who  had  been  the  terror  of  their 
neighborhoods,  sat  meekly  at  the  feet  of  Jesus;  men  and 
families  who  had  sunk  very  low  in  ignorance  and  corruption 
were  saved  and  lifted  up.  In  November  of  the  same  year  a 
church  was  organized  consisting  of  eleven  converts  from 
Rome.  Sr.  Concei^ao  after  his  excommunication  from  the 
Roman  Church  was  ordained  as  a  Presbyterian  minister  and 
labored  in  that  capacity  till  his  death  some  years  later. 

Mr.  Lenington  remained  at  Brotas  till  1872,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Dagama,  who  the  following 
year  moved  to  Rio  Claro  and  made  that  place  his  headquar- 
ters for  work. 

From  this  centre  the  work  has  spread  in  every  direction 
through  all  that  section  of  country  until  we  are  now  able  to 
count  nine  neighboring  churches  lineal  descendants  of  the 
old  Brotas  church.  AH  of  these  are  now  self-supporting 
and  some  of  them  have  fine  edifices  built  at  their  own 
expense.  Among  their  members  are  some  of  the  largest 
contributors  toward  the  general  evangelistic  work. 

The  Rev.  Messrs.  Trajano,  Miranda,  Braga,  Bizarro,  and 
Herculano  de  Gouvea  have  resided  in  this  field  and  labored 
there  for  varying  periods. 

The  Rev.  Messrs.  G.  W.  Chamberlain  and  J.  B.  Howell 
were  at  different  times  given  the  supervision  of  the  work 
in  the  Brotas  district,  making  the  tour  of  the  preaching 
places  there  as  their  engagements  in  Sao  Paulo  would 
permit.  In  1884,  however,  Mr.  Howell  was  assigned  to  this 
field,  and  the  development  of  the  work  having  left  Brotas 
at  the  extreme  southern  edge,  he  chose  Jahu  as  a  place  of 
residence.  Here,  while  making  monthly  tours  of  the  13 
preaching  places  under  his  care,  he  maintained  for  three 
years,  at  his  own  expense,  a  farm  school  in  which  nineteen 
native  Christian  youth  were  taught  the  higher  branches 
while  contributing  toward  their  own  support  by  their  labors 
in  the  fields. 

By  the  time  of  Mr.  Howell's  return  to  the  United  States, 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  317 

and  withdrawal  from  the  mission  in  1890,  two  theological 
students  who  had  been  under  his  instruction  being  prepared 
for  ordination  and  the  native  churches  having  been  worked 
up  to  the  point  of  self-support,  the  mission  help  was  with- 
drawn and  the  field  was  left  in  charge  of  the  two  native 
ministers  supported  by  the  people  under  their  care. 

Sorocaba,  Faxina  and  Guarehy  were  under  the 
Sorocaba  care  of  Rev.  A.  P.  C.  Leite  until  1884, when  he 

died  suddenly  while  attending  Presbytery. 
Rev.  J.  Z.  de  Miranda  next  had  charge  of  this  field,  all  the 
work  of  which  is  now  supported  by  the  native  church. 

This  is  a  country  town,  the  centre  of  a  fertile 
Botucatu  and  prosperous  agricultural  section,  about  180 

miles  northwest  of  Sao  Paulo.  Botucatu  was 
one  of  a  number  of  out-stations  in  the  same  district  which  were 
periodically  visited  by  the  missionaries  in  Sao  Paulo.  A 
church  was  organized  there,  principally  through  the  labors 
of  the  Rev.  G.  W.  Chamberlain.  One  of  the  early  converts, 
the  Sr.  Domingos  Soares  de  Barros,  as  an  inducement  to 
locating  a  resident  minister  at  this  point,  built  at  his  own 
expense  a  commodious  chapel,  with  a  small  residence  ad- 
joining, the  free  use  of  which  he  offered  to  the  mission. 
He  also  put  at  the  disposal  of  the  mission  a  large  residence 
to  be  used  for  educational  purposes. 

In  order  to  secure  the  above-mentioned  property,  as  well 
as  to  minister  to  several  other  churches  which  could  be  readily 
reached  from  this  point  as  a  centre,  the  Rev.  G.  A.  Landes 
and  wife  occupied  this  point  as  a  mission  station  in  iSSi 
and  remained  there  till  1886,  when  they  removed  to  Cury- 
tiba.  Sr.  Domingos  at  his  death  bequeathed  additional 
property  and  left  a  considerable  amount  of  money  as  an  en- 
dowment for  the  school  upon  condition  of  the  maintenance 
of  a  specified  number  of  free  boarding  scholarships.  The 
educational  work  there  was  organized  by  Miss  Dascomb 
assisted  by  Miss  Nannie  Henderson  ;  Miss  Hough  also  was 
connected  with  the  school,  and  by  her  was  started  the  first 
Christian  Endeavor  Society  in  connection  with  the  Presby- 
terian work. 

The  whole  work  was  subsequently  transferred  to  the 
native  church,  which  supports  its  own  Brazilian  pastor,  the 
Rev.  J.  C.  R.  Braga.  The  title  to  the  property  is  also  vested 
in  the  church.  Mrs.  Braga,  a  graduate  of  the  Sao  Paulo 
school,  superintends  the  large  and  flourishing  boarding- 
school,  with  other  Sao   Paulo  graduates  as  teachers.     The 


31 8  HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF 

school  is  entirel}'  independent  of  mission  aid,  and  the  point 
is  no  longer  occupied  as  a  mission  station. 

Although  our  Board  has  never  had  a  mission 
Minas  Geraes    station  in  the  State  of  Minas  Geraes  which  lies 

adjacent  to  Sao  Paulo  on  the  north  and  west, 
a  number  of  churches  have  been  organized  there  by  our 
missionaries  and  supplied  by  native  ministers  supported  by 
the  Board. 

Many  of  those  who  embraced  the  gospel  around  Brotas 
had  removed  thither  from  the  State  of  Minas,  and  through 
them  the  truth  was  carried  to  their  friends  and  families  who 
remained  behind.  Several  nuclei  of  believers  were  formed 
in  this  way  and  churches  organized  from  them;  and  the 
knowledge  of  the  gospel  spreading  from  these  centres,  other 
churches  were  organized  further  on.  Still  other  churches 
were  the  result  of  evangelistic  trips  by  missionaries  and 
native  ministers.  These  churches  since  the  organization  of 
the  Synod  in  i8S8  have  all  been  supported  by  funds  con- 
tributed by  the  native  church  and  at  present  have  no  connec- 
tion with  the  Board.  It  would  be  impossible  to  give  the 
whole  list  here,  but  the  best  known  as  centres  of  groups  are 
those  of  Caldas  and  Campanha.  The  principal  workers  in 
these  fields  have  been  the  Rev.  Miguel  Torres,  who  is  the 
author  of  a  "  Life  of  Christ,"  "  The  Church  of  Rome  at  the 
Bar  of  the  Gospel,"  and  some  controversial  tracts,  the  Rev. 
Messrs.  Nogueira,  Eduardo  Pereira,  Menezes,  Benedicto  de 
Campos,  and  Bento  Ferraz. 

Curityba,about  300  miles  southwest  of  Sao  Paulo 
Curityba  is  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Parana.      During 

two  successive  years  Rev.  Robert  Lenington 
made  various  tours  through  this  State  with  such  encourag- 
ing results,  that  it  was  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1885 
by  Rev.  G.  A.  Landes  and  wife.  They  were  reinforced  by 
Rev.  T.  J.  Porter  and  wife  in  1888. 

The  missionaries  who  make  their  headquarters  at  Curityba 
extend  their  labors  over  a  vast  field.  Rev.  Mr.  Landes  men- 
tions having  covered  1300  miles  in  some  of  his  evangelistic 
tours.  As  a  permanent  result  of  this  itinerating  work, 
churches  have  been  organized  and  the  following  new  stations 
opened:  Castro,  120  miles  from  Curityba,  occupied  by  Rev. 
and  Mrs.  Bickerstaph  in  1895;  Guarapava,  to  which  Rev. 
R.  F.  Lenington,  Jr.  and  wife  were  assigned  upon  their 
arrival  in  Brazil  in  1896.  At  Itaqui  a  little  congregation 
stands  ready  to  support  a  pastor  to  the  best  of  its  ability. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SOUTH    AMKRICA.  319 

but  no  one  is  free  to  go  to  this  post.  Miss  Williamson, 
formerly  of  the  Sao  Paulo  school,  has  charge  of  a  school 
here  and  several  of  the  pupils  have  already  professed  their 
faith  in  Christ. 

In  addition  to  the  wide-reaching  work  of  the  mission- 
aries in  Parana,  they  have  extended  their  journeys  into  the 
neighboring  State  of  Santa  Catherina,  which  has  no  Protes- 
tant minister  preaching  in  the  language  of  the  people 

A  fine  church  edifice  has  been  completed  in  Curityba  as 
the  result  of  many  generous  and  self-sacrificing  gifts  on  the 
part  of  the  people. 

Parana  suffered  from  the  desolating  effects  of  the  Civil 
War  and  as  a  result  the  mission  work  was  seriousl}^  disturbed 
for  a  time.  Curityba  was  filled  with  wounded  soldiers,  eight 
of  the  school  children  w^ere  made  orphans,  and  two  detained 
at  Lapa  during  a  twent3--one  days'  siege.  Out  of  the  turmoil 
and  trial,  however,  seems  to  have  come  a  religious  awaken- 
ing as  evidenced  in  the  renewed  growth  of  the  churches 
during  the  last  year. 

The  Girls'  Boarding-school  (Eschola  Americana)  at 
Curityba  stands  next  in  importance  to  the  Sao  Paulo  Protes- 
tant College.  It  is  the  outgrowth  of  a  small  school  estab- 
lished by  Mr.  Landes,  under  the  care  of  Rev.  M.  Carvalhosa 
assisted  by  his  daughters.  In  1892  Misses  M.  P.  Dascomb 
and  Ella  Kuhl,  after  years  of  successful  work  in  the  Sao 
Paulo  school,  assumed  charge.  They  opened  a  boarding 
department  which  now^  has  twenty-two  pupils.  The  whole 
number  of  pupils  exceeds  two  hundred,  representing  nine 
different  nationalities.  The  girls  are  carefully  trained  in  the 
Scriptures  and  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the  school  is  that  of 
a  Christian  home. 

Bahia,  situated  750  miles  northeast  of  Rio  de 
Bahia  Janeiro,  is   the   oldest  city  in  Brazil,  having 

been  founded  in  1549,  and  was  originall}'  the 
capital.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  State  bearing  the  same  name, 
and  ranks  next  in  size  to  Rio  de  Janeiro,  having  a  popula- 
tion of  nearl}'  250,000.  The  harbor  is  one  of  the  best  in 
South  America,  admitting  ships  of  the  largest  size.  The 
State  of  Bahia  produces  and  exports  cotton,  coffee,  sugar, 
manioc,  tobacco,  rum,  dye-stuffs,  fancy  woods,  horns  and 
hides.  It  also  contains  valuable  mines  of  gold,  silver,  cop- 
per, lead  and  iron,  with  deposits  of  potash,  alum,  manganese, 
etc.  The  commerce,  however,  is  small  compared  with  its 
possibilities,   on  account  of  the  want  of  enterprise  of  the 


320  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

inhabitants.  They  are  ignorant,  dissolute,  idle,  and  of 
course  poor.  Consequently  the  fertile  soil  is  uncultivated, 
the  rich  mines  are  undeveloped,  and  the  vast  forests  unhewn. 
Schools  of  ever}^  grade  are  needed,  and  especially  the  purify- 
ing, elevating,  energizing  power  of  the  gospel. 

The  work  at  this  point  has  always  presented  unusual 
difficulties;  and  has  yielded  less  fruit  than  any  other  of  the 
mission  fields  in  Brazil.  This  is  owing  partly  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  population,  which  is  principally  made  up  of- 
blacks  and  their  descendants,  this  port  having  been  formerly 
the  headquarters  of  the  African  slave  trade,  and  partly  to 
the  predominance  of  the  ecclesiastical  element,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  this  city  is  the  seat  of  the  Archbishopric  of  Brazil. 
Priests  in  their  official  robes  are  much  more  frequently  met 
with  on  the  streets  than  in  any  other  part  of  Brazil,  and 
their  hold  upon  the  people  is  much  greater. 

Notwithstanding  the  faithful  efforts  of  some  of  the  best 
and  most  energetic  missionaries  that  the  Board  has  ever  had 
in  Brazil,  after  26  years  of  effort  the  number  of  the  church 
members  is  still  small,  the  influence  of  the  church  upon  the 
community  is  apparently  slight,  and  very  little  has  been 
done  in  the  way  of  self-support. 

The  pioneer  missionary  in  this  field  was  the  Rev.  F.J.  C. 
Schneider,  who  was  transferred  to  this  station  in  1871  and 
continued  to  labor  there  till  his  withdrawal  from  the  mis- 
sion in  1877.  Other  laborers  were:  Rev.  R.  Lenington, 
Rev.  A.  L.  Blackford  (till  his  death),  Rev.  W.  G.  Finley, 
Rev.  J.  B.  Cameron,  Rev.  E.  M.  Pinkerton,  Rev.  G.  W. 
Chamberlain,  Rev.  J.  B.  Kolb  1884- 1886,  and  from  1893  to 
the  present  time. 

Parochial  schools  taught  by  natives  have  always  been 
maintained,  and  in  1894  a  school  of  higher  grade  was  begun 
by  Miss  Laura  Chamberlain,  with  gratifying  success.  Owing 
to  Miss  Chamberlain's  marriage  to  Rev.  W.  A.  Waddell  in 
January,  .1897,  the  school  was  transferred  to  native  teachers. 

Miss  K.  R.  Gaston  (Mrs.  Kolb)  carried  on  for  a  time  a 
work  of  house  to  house  visitation  which  proved  to  be  a  very 
efficient  agency  for  the  evangelization  of  the  people. 

Bahia  has  always  been  the  centre  of  colporteur  work  for 
the  whole  State,  and  the  missionaries  at  this  point  have 
always  considered  itinerating  through  the  interior  as  an 
important  part  of  their  work.  Gospel  seed  has  thus  been 
widely  sown,  but  the  apparent  result  of  these  labors  is  as 
yet  small. 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMERICA.  32 1 

Caclweini,  an  out-station  of  Baliia,  was  occupied  as  a 
mission  station  by  the  Rev.  J.  T.  Houston  from  1875  to 
1877,  when  he  was  called  to  Rio  de  Janeiro.  During  his 
stay  the  accessions  to  the  church  were  large  and  great  activ- 
ity was  manifested  in  every  direction.  After  his  withdrawal 
the  work  greatly  declined  and  the  small  congregation  is  now 
cared  for  by  native  local  evangelists  under  the  direction  of 
the  missionaries  in  Bahia. 

L,arangeiras  is  the  capital  of  the  State  of  Ser- 
Larangeiras  gipe,  one  of  the  smallest  in  the  Republic,  and  also 
one  of  the  poorest,  owing  to  the  frequent  and 
prolonged  droughts  with  which  it  has  been  visited,  and  which 
laave  compelled  the  people  to  emigrate  to  the  coffee  States  of 
the  south.     The  principal  industry  is  cattle  raising. 

About  1S70  a  prominent  merchant  in  one  of  the  principal 
towns  of  this  State  became  interested  in  the  gospel  through 
influences  emanating  from  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and  mainh' 
through  his  prudent  and  unremitting  efforts  an  unwonted 
interest  in  the  truth  sprang  up  throughout  a  considerable 
part  of  the  State.  After  several  visits  by  missionaries  and 
native  helpers  a  church  was  organized  in  the  town  of  Laran- 
geiras  in  1884.  The  Rev.  J.  B.  Kolb  occupied  this  point  as 
a  mission  station  from  1S86  to  1893.  The  Rev.  \V.  E. 
Finley  was  associated  with  him  in  1892,  and  since  Mr. 
Kolb's  transference  to  Bahia  has  been  in  sole  charge.  There 
was  much  fanatical  opposition  to  the  gospel  at  the  outset; 
Bibles  were  burned  and  ministers  were  mobbed.  But  the 
truth  has  silently  and  quietly  won  its  way,  so  that  not  only 
in  the  capital  but  also  through  large  sections  of  the  interior 
hostility  to  the  gospel  has  disappeared  and  the  preachers  are 
welcomed.  The  church  in  Larangeiras  numbered  132  in 
1894.  During  the  last  four  years  fifty-one  have  professed 
their  faith  and  forty-eight  children  have  been  baptized. 
There  are  several  important  groups  of  believers  scattered 
through  the  interior,  ministered  to  by  the  one  missionary  in 
the  State. 

From  the  beginning  much  importance  has  been  given  to 
educational  work,  and  the  improved  methods  of  instruction 
introduced  by  the  native  teachers  trained  in  the  Sao  Paulo 
normal  school  have  met  with  the  approbation  of  the  people. 
Miss  Clara  Hough  was  transferred  to  this  station  from  Botu- 
catu  in  1894  and  under  her  administration  the  school  has 
greatly  prospered. 

There  is  a  boys'  boarding  department  under  Mrs.  Finley 's 


322  HISTORICAI,   SKETCH    OF 

care,  and  one  for  girls  in  charge  of  Miss  Hough.  The  fruits  of 
this  work  are  already  evident  in  additions  to  the  church 
from  among  the  pupils.  In  1896  Rev.  E.  C.  Bixler  was  added 
to  the  small  force  for  this  State. 

^  .  ,  Q  .  This  inland  citv  was  occupied  as  a  mission 
Anna  ®^^^^°"  by   the   Rev.    G.   W.   Chamberlain   in 

1896.  It  is  'favorably  located  as  a  centre  of 
influence  for  a  large  and  important  agricultural  and  stock- 
raising  section.  The  cattle  market  held  here  weekly  brings 
together  men  from  the  most  distant  parts  of  the  State  and 
neighboring  States,  and  it  is  hoped  that  by  bringing  these 
men  under  the  influence  of  the  gospel  through  them  the 
good  seed  ma}'  be  carried  to  remote  districts  not  otherwise 
accessible. 

A  review  of  the  work  accomplished  by  Presbyterian 
Missions  "in  Brazil  during  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years, 
shows  rich  fruitage  in  many  churches  under  the  care  of  a 
native  ministry,  high  grade  Christian  schools,  and  steady 
development  along  the  line  of  self-support.  The  intangible 
results  of  a  growth  of  pure  and  undefiled  religion  in  its  in- 
fluence socially  and  politically,  while  not  to  be  calculated, 
are  very  pronounced  and  form  an  important  factor  in  esti- 
mate of  the  good  accomplished. 

Over  against  the  bright  picture  of  work  successfully  done 
through  God's  blessing,  there  still  stands  the  dark  picture  of 
the  many  States  in  which  no  representative  of  our  Church 
holds  up  the  standard  of  the  Cross,  and  darker  still,  the 
view  of  that  vast  territory  occupied  by  the  Indians  where  no 
Christian  denomination  has  ever  entered  with  the  Word  of 
Life. 

The  Indians  have  undisputed  possession  of  nearly  four- 
fifths  of  Brazil,  and  their  number  is  variously  estimated  at 
from  600,000  to  2,000,000.  Dr.  Couto  Magalhaes,  an 
accepted  authority,  believes  them  to  number  about  1,000,- 
000.  That  they  are  accessible  to  missionary  workers  is 
evident  from  the  fact  that  one.  chief  traveled  a  thousand 
miles  to  Sao  Paulo  tojbeg  of  the  missionaries  that_some_one 
be  sent  to  teachhis  people. 

Here  we  have  lying  at  our  door  a  pagan  territory  equal 
in  size  to  the  whole  of  Europe,  with  1,000,000  souls  ignor- 
ant of  Christ's  love  and  salvation,  neglected  and  apparently 
forgotten  by  God's  people  and  their  cry  for  help  unheeded 
bv  the  Church. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  323 

STATISTICS   1897. 

M  issionaries 25 

Native  workers  26 

Churches 41 

Coiiiniunicants  ')2.75 

Pupils  in  schools 389 

Pupils  in  Sunda3'-schools  255 

STATIONS,   1897. 

Bahia,  735  miles  northeast  of  Rio  de  Janeiro;  laborers — Rev.  J. 
B.  Kolb  and  Mrs.  Kolb,  Sr.  Cyrillo;  3  out-stations;  3  colporteurs. 

IvARANGEiRAS,  north  of  Bahia  in  the  State  of  Sergipe;  laborers- 
Rev.  Woodward  E.  Finley  and  Mrs.  Finley,  Rev.  C  E.  Bixler  and 
Miss  Clara  E.  Hough;  4  out-stations,  2  schools  and  2  native  teachers. 

Feira  St.  Anna,  occupied  as  a  mission  station  1896;  laborers — 
Rev.  G.  W.  Chamberlain  and  Mrs.  Chamberlain. 

Rio  de  Janeiro,  capital  of  the  Republic;  population,  500,000; 
occupied  as  a  mission  station  1S60;  laborers— Rev.  J.  B.  Rodgers  and 
Mrs.  Rodgers;  Rev.  M.  A.  Menezes,  Rev.  Franklin  de  Eascimento, 
Sr.  Josi  A.  Granja;  i  colporteur,  4  out-stations,  i  self-supporting 
church,  3  mission  churches,  2  schools  and  3  native  teachers. 

East  Rio  Station,  Novo  Friburgo,  40  miles  east  of  Rio;  occu- 
pied as  a  mission  station  in  1891;  laborers — Rev.  J.  M.  Kyle  and  Mrs. 
Kyle;   i  colporteur  and  i  out-station. 

Castro,  cpened  as  a  mission  station  1895,  laborers — Rev.  G.  L. 
Bickerstaph  and  Mrs.  Bickerstaph. 

Sao  Paulo,  300  miles  west  southwest  of  Rio;  capital  of  the  State 
of  the  same  name;  population,  125,000;  occupied  as  a  mission  station 
in  1863;  laborers— H.  M.  Lane,  M.D.,  Rev.  W.  A.  Waddell  and  Mrs. 
Waddell,  Miss  M.  K.  Scott,  Rev.  M.  P.  B.  Carvalhosa ;  3  boarding- 
schools,  5  day-schools,  5  mission  churches,  22  self-supporting  churches. 

CuRiTYBA,  about  300  miles  southwest  of  Sao  Paulo,  the  capital  of 
the  State  of  Parana;  laborers— Rev.  G.  A.  Landes  and  Mrs.  Laudes, 
Rev.  R.  F.  Lenington  and  Mrs.  Leningtou,  Miss  Ella  Kuhl,  Miss 
Mary  P.  Dascomb,  Miss  Elizabeth  R.  Williamson;  i  colporteur,  2 
day-schools,  i  boarding-school,  5  native  teachers,  3  out-stations. 


Chili. 

Chili,  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  prosperous  Re- 
publics of  South  America,  is  situated  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  Andes.  It  extends  from  19°  to  55°  south  latitude, 
or  from  the  Bay  of  Arica  to  Cape  Horn,  and  from  65°  to  75° 
west  longitude.  It  has  a  coast  line  of  over  2800  miles,  with 
an  average  width  of  120  miles.     The  area  is  estimated  at 


324 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 


293,000  square  miles.  Shut  in  between  the  mountains  and 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  it  is  isolated  from  the  main  thoroughfares 
of  commerce. 

In  a  country  extending  from  the  tropics  nearl}^  to  the 
Antarctic  Circle,  and  varying  in  altitude  from  the  sea  level 
to  14000  feet  above  it,  there  is  naturally  room  for  every  ex- 
treme of  heat  or  cold,  moisture  or  aridity.  The  northern 
part  is  a  hot,  parched  desert,  where  rain  scarcely  ever  falls  ; 

the  south  is  cold  and  foggy, 
with  abundant  rains,  and 
covered  with  forests  of  gi- 
gantic trees.  Between  the 
two  is  a  fine  agricultural 
region,  abounding  in  all  the 
products  of  temperate  and 
sub-tropical  countries.  The 
climate  is  in  general  health- 
ful, and  the  heat  on  the  sea- 
coast  never  extreme,  being 
tempered  by  the  cool  Ant- 
arctic current  which  bathes 
the  shores. 

About  18  per  cent,  of 
the  surface  is  arable  land, 
the  rest  being  desert,  moun- 
tain, pasture,  or  forest. 
Wheat  is  the  most  import- 
ant product.  Barley,  maize, 
potatoes,  beans,  hemp  and 
forage  plants  are  also  largely 
raised.  Fruit  of  all  sorts  is 
abundant  and  excellent. 

There  are  numerous 
lakes,  though  none  are  very 
large.  The  rivers  are  gen- 
erally mountain  torrents, 
most  valuable  for  irrigation.  The  Biobio,  220  miles  in 
length,  and  a  few  others,  are  navigable  for  a  short  distance. 
There  are  rich  mines  of  copper,  silver  and  coal,  and  val- 
uable deposits  of  nitrates,  which  form  the  riches  of  the  north- 
ern deserts. 

The  population,  mostly  of  Spanish  descent,  though 
largely  mingled  with  Indian  blood,  was  estimated  in  1895  at 
3,413,776.     There  are  still   some  independent  Araucanian 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AIMI-;rICA.  325 

Indians,  numbering  perhaps  24,000,  and  about  20,000  sav- 
age Patagonians,  but  most  of  the  native  stock  has  been 
absorbed  into  the  general  population. 

The  Roman  Catholic  religion  is  established  bj^  law,  but 
there  is  greater  liberty  than  in  almost  any  other  Republic  of 
South  America.  The  Press  is  free  and  a  recognized  power, 
and  the  importance  of  advancement  in  education  is  under- 
stood by  both  government  and  people. 

The  agricultural  classes  live  in  a  very  simple  and  primitive 
manner,  but  in  the  towns  and  among  the  upper  classes,  social 
life  and  habits  are  much  the  same  as  in  European  countries. 

The  northern  part  of  the  region  now  known  as  Chili  was 
conquered  by  the  Incas  of  Peru  about  1433,  and  remained 
subject  to  them  until  the  Spanish  Conquest.  The  first 
Spanish  expedition,  under  Almagro,  was  driven  back  by  the 
valor  of  the  Araucanians.  Angered  at  this  repulse,  Pizarro 
despatched  Don  Pedro  de  Valdivia  with  a  large  force,  and 
was  preparing  to  follow  in  person  when  he  was  assassinated 
in  1 54 1.  Valdivia  founded  Santiago  and  the  city  which 
bears  his  name,  and  was  finally  killed  in  battle.  The  Arau- 
canians, driven  to  the  south,  kept  up  a  brave  resistance  until 
1722,  when  they  consented  to  a  treaty  fixing  the  River 
Biobio  as  a  boundary  between  them  and  the  Spaniards. 

The  exactions  of  the  Spanish  officials,  who  regarded 
their  offices  only  as  means  of  personal  aggrandizement,  so 
exasperated  the  Chilians  that  they  determined  to  throw  ofi" 
the  hated  yoke.  When  Spain  was  helpless  in  the  grasp  of 
Napoleon,  they  seized  the  opportunity  to  depose  the  Spanish 
Governor,  and  declared  their  independence  September  18, 
1 8 10.  After  eight  3'ears  of  war,  and  many  reverses,  they 
finally  defeated  the  Spanish  forces,  and  established  a  Repub- 
lican Government  in  181 8.  The  first  Constitution  was 
adopted  in  1828,  and  the  present  one  in  1833. 

Mission  Work. 
The  first  Protestant  Mission  in  Chili  was  established  by 
the  "American  and  Foreign  Christian  Union,"  and  was 
transferred  to  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions 
July  14,  1873.  It  operates  from  five  centres,  viz.,  Valpa- 
raiso, Santiago,  Concepcion,  Copiapo,  and  Chilian. 

Valparaiso  is  the  principal  seaport,  being  situ- 

Valparaiso         ated  on  a  large  bay  with  a  back-ground  of  high 

hills.     The  city  has  had  a  rapid  growth.     In 

1854,  it  contained  only  52,000  inhabitants,  in    1897  it  has 


326  HISTORICAI,   SKETCH    OF 

120,000.  The  city  forms  the  principal  outlet  for  a  vast  ter- 
ritory of  rich  and  productive  land.  Gold,  copper,  lead, 
hides,  nitrates  and  flour,  are  its  exports,  and  it  has  direct 
communication  with  Europe  and  the  United  States  by  Ger- 
man and  English  steamers,  and  with  the  South  American 
Republics  on  the  west  coast  by  the  steamers  of  Chilian  and 
English  lines. 

In  1850  the  city  was  occupied  by  Rev.  D.  Trumbull, 
D.D.,  sent  thither  by  the  Seamen's  Friend  Society  and  the 
American  and  Foreign  Christian  Union.  Dr.  Trumbull 
labored  mostly  for  the  English-speaking  people  of  the  city, 
but  did  much  for  the  Chilians  through  the  Press,  and  also  in 
connection  with  our  mission,  with  which  he  co-operated 
actively  and  efficiently  until  his  death  in  1889.  In  1866 
Rev.  A.  M.  Merwin  was  sent  to  take  charge  of  the  Spanish 
work  in  the  city.  He  began  to  preach  in  1868,  and  a  church 
was  organized  in  1869. 

The  Rev.  W.  E.  Dodge  was  sent  out  by  the  Board  in 
1882.  He  was  soon  called  to  be  associate  pastor  of  the 
Union  Church  of  English-speaking  residents,  but  like  Dr. 
Trumbull,  was  from  the  first  identified  with  our  mission. 
During  1883,  they  were  the  means  of  establishing  a  flourish- 
ing Y.  M.  C.  A. 

The  Chilian  church,  with  about  a  hundred  members,  has 
its  own  pastor,  and  is  partly  self-supporting.  It  has  a  large 
Sunday-school,  and  an  active  Christian   Endeavor  Society. 

The  \'alparaiso  Bible  Society  has  been  wonderfully  suc- 
cessful, and  is  one  of  the  most  efficient  agencies  in  helping 
forward  the  work  in  this  field. 

In  1884  Mr.  Curtiss  came  from  Concepcion  to  Valparaiso 
to  conduct  the  w^ork  of  the  Press  and  edit  the  religious  paper 
published  by  the  mission.  When  Messrs.  Merwin  and  Cur- 
tiss retired  from  the  field  in  1886,  Mr.  Garvin  was  removed 
to  this  station,  and  Mr.  Christen  of  Santiago  became  editor 
of  the  paper. 

The  Esciiela  Popular,  a  day-school  for  boys  and  girls, 
is  partly  self-supporting.  There  are  over  200  scholars, 
many  from  Roman  Catholic  families,  and  all  receive  faithful 
religious  teaching.  Man}^  children  from  this  school  attend 
the  Chilian  Sunday-school. 

The  "Sheltering  Home"  for  orphan  children,  was  estab- 
lished by  Dr.  Trumbull  and  Mr.  Merwin.  It  has  about  30 
inmates  from  different  parts  of  the  country.  A  commodious 
building  was  erected  in  1893.      The  property  belongs  to  an 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMERICA.  327 

incorporated  society,  two  of  whose  directors  are  chosen  by 
the  Presbyterian  Mission  in  Chili.  Rev.  J.  F.  Garvin  and 
Mrs.  Garvin  at  present  hold  these  positions. 

The  weekly  religious  paper  "El  Heraldo  Kvangelico"  is 
now  edited  by  Mr.  Garvin.  It  is  widely  circulated  through- 
out Chili  and  in  the  adjoining  Republics,  and  is  a  powerful 
means  of  disseminating  evangelical  trutli. 

Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili,  is  situated  on  a 
Santiago  plain  i  ,830  feet  above  the  sea.      It  is  a  fine  city 

as  regards  buildings,  and  has  a  population  of 
200,000.  It  is  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  inland  from 
Valparaiso,  and  is  connected  with  it  by  a  railroad.  It  was 
first  occupied  in  1861  by  Rev.  N.  P.  Gilbert,  who,  in  the 
midst  of  many  discouragements  from  foreigners  and  natives, 
persevered  until  he  was  able  to  organize  a  church  and  erect 
a  building  in  a  central  position,  well  adapted  to  the  congre- 
gation. When  Mr.  Gilbert  retired  from  the  field  in  1871, 
he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Ibanez-Guzman,  a  native 
of  the  country,  whose  promising  ministry  was  soon  cut  .'■hort 
by  death.  He  was  follo\ved  by  Rev.  S.  J.  Christen,  who  in 
turn  was  relieved  of  this  charge  by  Rev.  W.  H.  Lester 
about  1884  in  order  to  give  up  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
to  educational  work.  In  1889,  during  Mr.  Lester's  minis- 
try, the  church  was  burned  down.  It  was  occupied  by  the 
English  and  German  congregations  as  well  as  by  the  Chilian 
church .  Within  a  year  a  new  and  better  building  was  erected , 
partly  through  the  generosity  of  English  and  other  friends 
in  Santiago.  The  same  year  Rev.  Francisco  Diez  of  Spain 
was  brought  to  Chili  and  placed  in  charge  of  the  church 
and  in  1897  he  was  installed  as  pastor.  Over  seventy  mem- 
bers are  reported;  the  Sunday-school  numbers  nearly  200. 
A  Christian  Endeavor  Society,  Temperance  Society,  and 
city  mission  work  are  supported  in  part  by  members  of  this 
church. 

The  Union  Church  consists  of  English-speaking  foreign- 
ers, and  is  an  independent  organization.  The  Board  has  for 
some  years  assisted  in  supporting  the  pastor,  who  has  usually 
been  one  of  our  missionaries.  Under  the  charge  of  Rev. 
J.  C.  Wilson,  the  present  minister,  steps  have  been  taken 
toward  complete  self-support.  An  active  Christian  Endeavor 
Society  is  connected  with  this  church  and  a  bright  monthly 
religious  paper  called  "Our  Young  People,"  is  published. 

The  ''  Instituto  Inicrnacionale,''  a  boarding  and  day- 
school  for  boys   was  begun  in  1876  by  Rev.  S.  J.  Christen, 


328  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

who  has  continued  in  charge  of  it  ever  since.  It  has  a  pre- 
paratory department  and  a  regular  college  course  up  to  the 
fourth  year,  with  thorough  moral  and  religious  instruction. 
A  commodious  new  building  was  erected  in  1894.  Many  of 
the  students  come  from  unbelieving  families,  and  receive 
their  only  religious  impressions  in  the  school. 

A  Theological  Class  was  begun  in  1884  through  the 
kindness  of  Alex.  Balfour,  Esq.,  of  lyiverpool.  It  has  been 
in  charge  of  Rev.  J.  M.  Allis,  D.D.,  assisted  by  Mr.  Christen 
and  Mr.  Boomer.  Several  of  its  students  are  now  in  the 
active  ministry  in  Chili  or  in  other  countries. 

Constitucion,  a  seaport  of  about  7000  inhabit- 
Constitucion     ants  at  the  mouth  of  the  Maule  River  and  about 

150  miles  south  of  Valparaiso,  was  the  scene 
of  a  work  that  promised  well  in  1885.  The  postmaster  of 
the  place,  A.  J.  Vidaurre,  professed  conversion  and  entered 
the  ministry.  His  efforts  produced  quite  a  stir  in  the  com- 
munit5%  and  a  considerable  number  of  persons  were  organ- 
ized into  a  church.  The  outward  prosperity  was  short- 
lived, and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  not  many  were  genuinely 
converted  to  Christ.  Rev.  Moses  Bercovitz  followed  Mr. 
Vidaurre,  and  carried  on  a  successful  evangelical  school. 
On  his  retiring  from  the  country,  Mr.  Robert  Elphick, 
assisted  b}^  two  lady  teachers,  sustained  the  services  and 
school,  but  since  the  removal  of  two  of  these  workers,  the 
mission  has  not  been  in  circumstances  to  send  other  laborers 
there  and  the  work  is  held  in  abeyance  at  present. 

Talca,  a  city  of  about  35,000  inhabitants,  now 
Talca  an  out-station  of  Santiago,  was  occupied  many 

years  ago  by  Rev.  S  Sayre  and  later  by  Rev. 
S.  W.  Curtiss.  These  missionaries  were  called  to  other 
points  and  the  field  was  long  unoccupied.  In  1896  the 
mission  reopened  the  field,  sending  there  Rev.  F.  Jorquera, 
and  in  1897  on  his  resigning  the  work  it  was  continued  by  a 
native  helper. 

Concepcion  is  a  well-built  and  flourishing  city 
Concepcion        on  the  Biobio  River,  about  ten  miles  from  the 

bay  of  Talcahuano,  which  forms  one  of  the 
best  harbors  in  Chili,  and  where  the  government  at  great 
expense  has  recently  built  a  large  dry  dock.  It  contains 
about  45,000  inhabitants  and  is  the  most  important  commer- 
cial centre  in  the  southern  part  of  Chili. 

The  church  was  founded  in  1880,  by  two  brothers,  Revs. 
Robert  and  Eneas  McLean.     After  a  few  years  of  labor,  in 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SOUTH    AMERICA.  329 

Avhich  they  had  succeeded  in  gathering  an  English  and 
Spanish  congregation,  and  in  founding  a  paper,  HI  Rcpub- 
licano,  they  returned  to  the  United  States,  leaving  the  entire 
care  of  the  work  to  the  Rev.  S.  W.  Curtiss  and  Mrs.  Curtiss, 
who  had  been  called  from  Talca  to  join  them. 

The  year  following  (1S84J  Rev.  J.  F.  Garvin  and  wife 
arrived  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curtiss  removed  to  Valparaiso. 
The  paper  E/  R£publicano,'o{  Concepcion,  was  united  with 
La  Alianza.  published  in  \'alparaiso,  and  they  were  contin- 
ued under  the  name  of  El  Heraldo. 

Changes  in  the  mission  force  soon  called  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Garvin  to  \'alparaiso,  and  the  church  was  cared  for  first  by 
a  helper,  then  by  a  native  licentiate,  Mr.  Francisco  Jorquera, 
who  was  afterward  installed  as  its  first  pastor.  In  1889 
Rev.  W.  B.  Boomer  and  Mrs.  Boomer  were  appointed  to  this 
field  and  work  was  opened  in  some  of  the  neighboring  towns. 
The  church  in  Linares  was  also  put  in  Mr.  Boomer's  charge. 

The  political  disturbances  of  1891  interfered  with  the 
work  in  Concepcion  and  other  towns,  and  in  1892  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Boomer  were  sent  to  Chilian  to  open  a  new  station . 
Before  the  removal  of  Mr.  Jorquera  to  Taltal,  in  1895,  a 
desirable  lot  was  purchased  and  a  small  chapel  erected. 
Rev.  Tulio  Moran  has  been  in  charge  of  the  w^ork  in  Con- 
cepcion and  neighborhood,  and  in  1897  he  was  joined 
by  Rev.  \V.  L.  Schmalhorst. 

Copiapo,  about  400  miles  north  of  Valparaiso, 
Copiapo  has  no  communication  with  the  outside  world 

but  by  sea  and  by  mountain  passes.  It  is  a 
beautiful  city  in  an  almost  rainless  valley;  it  was  called 
Copiapo,  "cup  of  gold,"  because  of  its  cup-like  shape  and 
its  rich  silver  and  copper  mines.  Its  port  of  entry  is  Caldera. 
Work  was  started  here  many  years  ago  by  Rev.  S.  J. 
Christen,  and  was  followed  up  for  a  time  by  Rev.  S.  Sayre. 
Afterwards  the  Methodists  entered  and  then  gave  up  the  field, 
and  the  Presbyterians  upon  invitation  of  the  group  of 
Christians  there,  re-entered. 

Mr.  Scott  Williams,  now  in  Mexico,  had  charge  of  t]ie 
work  during  1888.  Rev.  W.  H.  and  Mrs.  Robinson  were 
appointed  to  this  field  in  1SS9,  and  remained  until  1896, 
when  Rev.  E.  A.  Lowe  and  Mrs.  Lowe  took  charge.  There 
are  now  two  churches  with  separate  chapels,  one  for  English 
services  and  one  for  Spanish,  and  both  are  well-attended. 
There  is  also  a  small  day-school.  The  signs  of  promise 
in  Copiapo  are  many  and  increasing.  Mr.  Lowe  makes 
(22) 


330  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

regular  tours  among  the  mining  towns  of  the  interior,  find- 
ing much  encouragement  and  large  opportunities. 

Tocopilla,  an  out-station  of  Copiapo,  is  one  of  the  ports 
of  the  desert  regions  in  the  extreme  north  of  Chili,  noted 
for  their  vast  nitrate  deposits.  A  large  population  has  been 
attracted  by  this  industry.  Mr.  Henry  Fraser,  an  English 
business  man,  held  services  for  some  years  for  the  English 
residents,  with  excellent  results.  In  1895  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Allis  and  Mr.  Emilio  Olssen,  a  colporteur  of  the  Valparaiso 
Bible  Society,  visited  the  region.  They  preached  *in  Toco- 
pilla, and  visited  the  nitrate  works  inland,  of  which  there 
are  five,  each  employing  many  hundred  men.  They  were 
received  most  cordially,  held  many  services,  and  sold  a  large 
number  of  Bibles  and  Testaments.  The  next  year  Mr. 
Roberto  Elphick,  a  Chilian  licentiate,  was  sent  to  Tocopilla, 
and  has  had  good  success  among  these  isolated  workmen. 

Taltal,  another  out-station,  is  also  a  port  in  the  nitrate 
region.  Largely  through  the  efforts  of  a  Chilian  working- 
man  who  was  converted  by  the  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  a 
group  of  Christians  was  formed  here.  The  work  was 
strengthened  and  encouraged  by  itinerating  missionaries 
until  more  frequent  preaching  was  carried  on  by  Rev.  F. 
Jorquera  in  1895.  Within  the  two  years  following,  a  small 
chapel  was  erected  and  the  preliminary  steps  toward  organiz- 
ing a  church  were  taken  by  Presbytery.  Mr.  Jose  Quiroga, 
the  prime  mover  in  the  earlier  work,  now  has  charge  of  the 
work  in  Taltal  and  in  the  nitrate  works  in  the  interior. 

Chilian  is  a  city  of  25,000  inhabitants,  about 
Chilian  240  miles  by  rail  south  of  Santiago.     It  is  sit- 

uated in  the  midst  of  a  wide  plain,  fertile 
and  well-cultivated,  and  is  famous  for  its  weeklj^  fair,  or 
market  day.  This  cattle  market  is  the  largest  in  the  coun- 
try and  attracts  people  even  from  the  Argentine  Republic. 
At  the  foot  of  the  nearest  volcano,  bearing  the  same  name, 
are  the  well-known  Chilian  baths  frequented  by  patients 
from  Europe  as  well  as  from  Chili. 

In  1892  Rev.  W.  B.  Boomer  and  Mrs.  Boomer,  accom- 
panied by  a  native  helper  and  a  teacher,  were  sent  to  Chilian 
to  open  a  new  station .  A  church  of  about  a  dozen  mem- 
bers was  organized  in  1894.  It  now  numbers  about  50 
and  is  partially  self-supporting.  Two  members  of  this 
church  are  studying  for  the  ministry.  In  1896  Rev.  C.  M. 
Spining  and  wife  were  added  to  the  force.  The  day-school 
for  girls  and  little  boys  numbers  between  30  and  40. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  33 1 

The  church  at  Linares  organized  in  1888  was  removed  to 
Parral  in  1896,  and  is  in  charge  of  the  workers  in  Chilian. 
It  niimbers  about  20  members. 

Work  has  been  commenced  in  Bulues  and  San  Carlos, 
neighboring  towns  of  from  3000  to  7000  inhabitants.  Two 
theological  students  (now  in  the  ministry )  materially  aided 
in  the  work  of  this  station  while  pursuing  their  studies 
there. 

In  1883  the  Presbytery  of  Chili  was  erected 
Organization    by    the   General   Assembly,   consisting   of  six 

ministers  and  three  churches.  Four  churches 
have  since  been  organized  and  six  young  men  have  been 
ordained  to  the  ministry. 

There  are  at  present  connected  with  the  Presbytery  four- 
teen ministers  and  seven  churches.  The  Presbytery  directs 
the  work  of  publishing  tracts  and  the  weekly  religious  paper, 
El  Heraldo  Evajigelico.  Five  congregations  meet  in  chapels 
or  churches  owned  or  held  in  trust  by  the  mission. 

A  valuable  lot  and  a  substantial  three-story  building  for 
the  Instituto  Lnternacional  is  also  held  by  the  mission  in 
Santiago. 

In  1888,  the  government  granted  the  mission  a  charter, 
whereby  ' '  those  who  profess  the  Reformed  Church  religion 
according  to  the  doctrines  of  Holy  Scripture,  may  promote 
primary  and  superior  instruction,  according  to  modern 
methods  and  practice  and  propagate  the  worship  of  their 
belief  obedient  to  the  laws  of  the  land  ;"  and  "this  corpor- 
ation may  acquire  lands  and  buildings  necessary  for  the 
expressed  object,  and  retain  the  same  b}'  act  of  the  Legisla- 
ture." This  special  charter  was  one  of  several  important 
steps  taken  by  the  government  in  the  direction  of  religious 
liberty,  and  renders  the  tenure  of  property  more  secure  than 
formerly. 

In  1884  the  English-speaking  residents  of 
Callao  Callao,  Peru,  asked  that  a  missionary  be  sent 

there,  promising  liberal  subscriptions  for  his 
support.  Rev.  J.  M.  Thompson,  formerly  of  Pittsburg,  was 
sent,  but  after  two  years  the  supporters  failed  to  carry  on 
the  work  and  the  field  was  abandoned.  It  has  since  been 
entered  by  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


332  HISTORICAL    SKETCH    OF 

STATISTICS  1897. 

Stations 5 

Out-stations 18 

Missionaries 17 

Nati  ve  workers 15 

Churches 7 

Com municants 368 

Pupils  in  schools 307 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools 661 

STATIONS,  1897. 

VaIvPARAISO,  the  chief  seaport  of  Chili;  population,  120,000; 
laborers— Rev  James  F.  Garvin  and  Mrs.  Garvin,  Rev.  Alberto  Morati, 
pastor,  Victoriano  Castro,  principal  of  Escuela  Popular  and  helper  ; 
7  other  helpers  and  teachers. 

Santiago,  the  capital  of  Chili ;  120  miles  southeast  of  Valpar- 
aiso, with  which  it  has  railroad  connection;  population,  200,000; 
laborers— Rev.  J.  M.  Allis,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Allis,  Rev.  S.  J-  Christen 
and  Mrs.  Christen,  Rev.  J.  C.  Wilson  and  Mrs.  Wilson,  Rev.  W.  E. 
Browning,  Ph.D.,  ,and  Mrs.  Browning,  3Ir.  John  Frey,  Mr.  Karl 
Ktiom,  Rev.  Francisco  Diez,  pastor  ;  7  teachers  and  helpers. 

CONCEPCiON,  near  the  coast,  about  300  miles  south  of  Valparaiso, 
connected  with  Santiago  by  railroad  ;  population  45,000  ;  laborers — 
Rev.  W.  L.  Schmalhorst,  Rev.  Tulio  Moran. 

COPIAPO,  about  400  miles  north  of  Valparaiso  ;  population  15,000; 
laborers — Rev.  E.  A.  I/Owe  and  Mrs.  Lowe. 

TocopiCLA,  Rev.  Roberto  Elphick. 

Tai^taIv,  Mr.  Jose  V.  Quiroga. 

Chilean,  laborers— Rev.  W.  B.  Boomer  and  Mrs.  Boomer,  Rev. 
C.  M.  Spining  and  Mrs.  Spining  ;  2  helpers. 


Colombia. 


After  the  wars  which  freed  South  America  from  Spanish 
domination  in  18 19,  the  northern  section  was  constituted  a 
Republic,  embracing  the  present  States  of  Ecuador,  Vene- 
zuela and  Colombia.  The  natural  diversity  of  the  population 
soon  caused  a  division  into  the  three  Republics  which  now 
exist. 

The  Republic  of  Colombia,  first  known  as  New  Granada, 
and  later  as  the  United  States  of  Colombia,  has  an  area  of 
505,000  square  miles,  nearly  four  times  that  of  California. 
It  occupies  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  continent,  includ- 


THE    MISSION'S    IN    SOUTH    A:\n;RICA.  333 

ing  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  and  controls  the  important 
transit  trade  from  Aspinwall  to  Panama.  The  chief  rivers 
of  Colombia  flow  into  the  Caribbean  Sea;  the  Pacific  Coast 
is  mountainous  and  destitute  of  good  harbors. 

The  climate  is  hot  along  the  coast;  most  of  the  country 
consists  of  an  elevated  plateau  of  the  Andes,  where  the  heat 
is  modified  by  the  altitude.  Volcanic  eruptions  and  earth- 
quakes are  of  frequent  occurrence.  The  soil  is  fertile,  and 
all  tropical  products  can  be  produced  in  great  abundance, 
but  the  means  of  communication  and  transport  are  so  lim- 
ited that  there  is  no  inducement  to  develop  the  unbounded 
agricultural  resources.  Valuable  minerals  and  the  precious 
metals  are  found  in  great  abundance.  The  population  is 
4,000,000.  Of  these  it  is  estimated  that  one-half  are  of 
Spanish  descent,  one-third  negroes,  and  one-sixth  Indians. 
The  language  is  Spanish,  and  the  Roman  Catholic  religion 
is  established  by  law,  though  other  religions  are  permitted 
so  long  as  their  exercise  "is  not  contrary  to  Christian  morals 
or  the  law." 

The  only  Protestant  mission  work  in  Colombia  is  that 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  (North)  of  the  United  States. 
The  American  Bible  Society  does  much  good  through  its 
agents  in  the  coast  towns. 

The  first  missionary  of  our  Board  to  South 
Bogota  America   was   Rev.  Thomas  L'Hombral,  who 

was  sent  to  Buenos  Ay  res  in  1853.  He  re- 
mained only  six  years,  and  the  mission  was  discontinued. 
The  next  missionary.  Rev.  Horace  B.  Pratt,  was  sent  to 
New  Granada,  now  the  Republic  of  Colombia.  He  reached 
his  field,  Bogota,  June  20,  1856.  At  that  time  the  govern- 
ment interposed  no  hindrances;  but  the  swarming  priests  were 
prodigal  of  impediments,  and  the  ignorance  of  the  masses 
greatly  retarded  the  circulation  of  the  truth  through  the 
Press.  "  He  found  among  the  youth  and  the  men  no  love 
for  the  Church,  but  a  widespread  deism  ;  he  found  a  low 
standard  of  morality  everywhere  prevalent,  the  utter  absence 
of  spiritual  life,  and  a  resting  only  in  outward  ceremonials 
for  an  inward  preparation  for  the  life  to  come. 

In  1858  this  mission  was  reinforced  by  Rev.  Samuel  M. 
Sharpe  and  his  wife,  who  reached  Bogota  July  20.  Soon 
after  their  arrival,  services  in  Spanish  were  begun.  This 
called  out  bitter  papal  opposition,  which  was  quelled  by  the 
authorities,  and  for  the  time  the  rights  of  toleration  were 
vindicated.     But    the  priests  threatened  all  Catholics  who 


Xongitude  "West        ?5     from   Greenwieli 


m 


THE    MISSIONS    IN   SOUTH    AMERICA.  335 

should  attend  any  Protestant  services,  with  excommunica- 
tion and  all  its  terrible  consequences.  About  this  time  a 
night-school,  a  Sundaj^-school  and  a  Bible-class  were  opened. 

In  i860  Mr.  Pratt  returned  to  the  United  States  to  super- 
intend the  printing  of  a  book  he  had  translated  into  Span- 
ish— "  Seymour's  Evenings  with  the  Romanists" — and  also 
to  aid  in  the  revision  of  the  New  Testament  in  Spanish. 

During  his  absence  the  Rev.  W.  K.  McLaren  and  his 
wife  joined  the  mission,  and  had  scarcely  reached  Bogota 
before  Mr.  Sharpe  was  taken  ill,  and  soon  after  called  to  his 
rest.  A  civil  war  was  raging,  which  greatly  hindered  all 
work.  For  a  time  the  Romish  party  held  the  capital  ;  then 
it  was  taken  by  the  Liberal  party,  the  Jesuits  were  banished, 
monastic  orders  restricted,  and  other  means  taken  to  reduce 
the  political  power  of  the  papal  party. 

The  first  church  was  organized  in  1861,  with  six  mem- 
bers. The  next  year  the  Rev.  T.  F.  Wallace  and  Mrs. 
Wallace  joined  the  mission,  and  on  Mr.  McLaren's  departure 
they  were  left  the  only  guardians  of  the  little  flock. 

In  1866  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Pitkin  joined  the  mission;  after 
six  years  he  was  transferred  to  Mexico,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wallace  were  again  alone.  A  girls"  school  was  opened  in 
1869,  under  the  care  of  Miss  Kate  McFarren. 

In  1874  the  Rev.  Willis  Weaver  and  wife  arrived  at 
Bogota.  Mr.  T.  F.  Wallace  continued  to  labor  in  this  mis- 
sion until  the  failure  of  Mrs.  Wallace's  health  in  1875, 
when  they  returned  to  America,  and  afterward  joined  the 
mission  in  Mexico.  The  next  5''ear  the  chapel  was  repaired, 
and  occupied  instead  of  a  private  room.  During  this  year 
also,  a  )'Oung  native  of  marked  talent  and  an  enthusiastic 
student,  began  regular  study  in  preparation  for  missionary 
work. 

Early  in  1880  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Weaver  returned  home,  and 
Miss  McFarren  remained  alone  in  charge  of  the  mission. 
The  Rev.  M.  E.  Caldwell  and  wife  and  Miss  Margaret  Ram- 
sey (Mrs.  T,  H.  Candor),  having  been  appointed  to  this 
field  in  the  spring,  arrived  at  the  mission  in  the  autumn  of 
1880.  After  Mr.  Caldwell's  arrival  the  interest  in  all 
branches  of  mission  work  steadily  increased.  Thirteen 
adults  were  added  to  the  church  during  the  first  year.  One 
of  the  converts,  a  man  in  high  position  in  the  government, 
became  a  most  efficient  worker,  having  a  Bible-class  averag- 
ing from  twenty-five  to  thirty  men. 

In  the  face  of  many  discouragements,   the   church  and 


336  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OP 

school  made  slow  and  painful  progress.  The  bitter  opposi- 
tion of  the  priests  was  less  harmful  than  the  apathy  and 
irreligion  of  the  people.  The  intelligent  classes  are  largely 
indifferent  or  skeptical;  the  poorer  people  appallingly  ignor- 
ant. It  is  not  unusual  for  men  to  come  asking  the  mission- 
ary to  buy  their  souls  for  money,  which  the  priests  tell  them 
he  is  commissioned  by  the  devil  to  do.  The  unsettled 
political  condition  of  the  country,  with  the  frequent  revolu- 
tionary disturbances  is  also  a  great  drawback.  Still  the 
little  church  grows  by  degrees,  and  reported  in  1 897  a  mem- 
bership of  112  in  Bogota  and  vicinity,  with  at  least  300 
regular  attendants  on  the  services.  In  1886,  after  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Touzeau,  Mr.  Caldwell  was  able 
to  make  his  first  evangelistic  tour,  reaching  over  fifty  cities 
and  towns.  These  trips  are  made  whenever  possible,  and 
thousands  are  reached  in  this  way  who  would  never  enter 
a  place  of  worship. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caldwell  returned  from  America  in  1889, 
bringing  with  them  two  new  missionaries,  Miss  Addie  C. 
Ramsey  and  Prof.  W.  Findley.  Miss  Ramsey  was  to  be 
with  her  sister,  Mrs.  Candor,  at  Barranquilla,  and  Professor 
Findley  was  to  take  charge  of  the  boys'  school  which  Mr. 
Caldwell  hoped  to  open  as  soon  as  he  reached  Bogota.  On 
the  way  the  new  missionaries  were  exposed  to  the  contagion 
of  yellow  fever,  and  four  days  after  the  joyful  meeting  with 
her  sister  in  Barranquilla,  Miss  Ramsey  died.  Professor 
Findley  had  started  on  the  journey  up  the  Magdalena  River, 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Caldwell,  when  he  was  prostrated  and 
fell  a  victim  to  the  same  disease.  He  was  buried  at  the 
Port  of  Sogamosa.  There  was  great  sorrow  and  disappoint- 
ment in  Barranquilla  and  Bogota  at  the  death  of  these  con- 
secrated and  earnest  young  workers. 

In  all  Roman  Catholic  countries,  the  school 
Schools  work  is  the  real  secret  of  success.     The  girls' 

school,  begun  in  1869,  was  successively  under 
the  charge  of  Miss  McFarren,  Mrs.  Caldwell  and  Miss 
Franks  (Mrs.  Ladd).  After  the  marriage  of  the  latter,  the 
boarding  department  was  closed  for  a  time.  The  day-school 
was  most  efficiently  carried  on  by  Miss  Pradilla,  one  of  the 
graduates.  The  boarding-school  was  reopened  in  1893 
under  Miss  Hunter,  who  was  succeeded  by  Miss  Nevegold 
(Mrs.  M.  W.  Graham),  Miss  Riley  and  Miss  Scott. 

A  school  for  boys  was  opened  in  1890  by  Mr.  Caldwell 
and  Mr.  Miles.     This  was  the  signal  for  furious  opposition 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  337 

from  the  priests,  who  know  well  that  the  future  belongs  to 
those  w^ho  gain  the  boys.  But  their  efforts  have  not  pre- 
vented the  success  of  the  school.  It  has  a  large  and  com- 
fortable building,  with  a  fine  plaj'ground.  The  Rev.  M.  W. 
Graham  is  now  the  principal. 

A  boarding  department,  maintained  for  some  years,  was 
discontinued  in  1896. 

Despite  the  published  threats  of  the  Archbishop  -to  ex- 
communicate all  who  have  aught  to  do  with  Protestant 
services,  schools  and  even  funerals,  the  number  of  pupils  in 
our  schools  has  really  increased,-  and  the  public  services  in 
Sunday-school  and  church,  conducted  by  Mr.  Candor,  have 
notably  increased  in  interest. 

Barranquilla  is  the  main  port  of  Colombia, 
Barranquilla  lying  at  the  mouth  of  the  Magdalena  River, 
which  is  to  Colombia  what  the  Nile  is  to 
Egypt.  It  has  40,000  inhabitants,  and  is  growing  vigorously. 
There  is  a  line  of  steamers  direct  to  New  York.  The  large 
foreign  population  creates  a  freer  atmosphere  than  in  the 
inland  towns,  but  there  is  more  than  the  usual  license  and 
immorality  of  a  seaport.  The  climate  is  extremely  hot  and 
unwholesome. 

Work  was  begun  here  in  1S88,  by  Rev.  T.  S.  Candor  and 
Mrs.  Candor,  who  brought  to  their  new  station  the  experience 
of  six  years  of  efficient  labor  in  Bogota.  They  were  assisted 
by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  A.  H.  Erwin,  whose  school  for  boys 
has  been  for  more  than  20  years  a  centre  of  Christian  influ- 
ence in  Barranquilla. 

A  church  was  organized  and  a  Sunday-school  established. 
A  day-school  for  girls  opened  by  Mrs.  Candor  soon  became 
a  prosperous  institution.  Mrs.  Ladd  (Miss  M.  B.  Franks) 
soon  after  her  arrival  in  Barranquilla  from  Bogota,  was  placed 
in  charge  of  this  school,  while  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Candor  removed 
to  a  higher  part  of  the  city,  where  a  dwelling-house  and 
school  were  built.  This  was  destined  for  a  day-school  for 
the  poor  of  both  sexes,  which  was  opened  by  Mrs.  Candor 
and  native  assistants.  This  school,  with  an  orphanage,  was 
maintained  for  nearly  three  years,  until  ill-health  obliged 
Mrs.  Candor  to  suspend  it.  It  was  reopened  for  a  time  in 
1895,  by  Miss  Hunter. 

In  1891,  Rev.  T.  S.  Pond  arrived  in  Barranquilla.  After 
giving  a  year  to  the  acquisition  of  the  Spanish,  Mr.  Pond 
was  joined  by  Mrs.  Pond,  and  their  youngest  daughter.  A 
few  months  later  a  class  of  lads  and  young  men  was  formed 


338  HISTORICAI,   SKETCH    OF 

and  instructed  in  Mr.  Pond's  house.  This  slowly  grew  dur- 
ing the  first  half-year  into  a  school,  but  its  location  was  not 
favorable,  and,  on  the  suspension  of  Mrs.  Candor's  school, 
it  was  transferred  to  the  mission  building.  This  school  was 
maintained  with  gratifying  results  for  two  years,  and  together 
with  the  school  for  girls,  has  served  greatly  to  disarm  the 
natural  prejudice  against  the  foreign  teachers. 

Mrs.  Pond's  health  became  so  seriously  affected  that  she 
was  obliged  to  return  to  the  United  States  in  1894.  '^^^ 
next  year  the  station  was  reinforced  by  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Montgomery  and  Miss  F.  E.  Smith.  After  seeing 
these  new  recruits  well  initiated  in  the  work,  Mr.  Pond  was 
obliged  by  illness  .to  return  home.  In  the  weakened  state  of 
the  missionary  force,  faithful  and  acceptable  service  was 
rendered  by  two  of  the  native  brethren,  who  gave  great 
assistance  in  the  preaching  services. 

The  girls'  school,  under  Mrs.  Ladd's  care,  has  been 
energetically  maintained,  and  has  an  excellent  reputation  in 
the  community. 

Neighborhood  meetings  are  held,  and  the  congregation 
outside  the  house  is  often  greater  than  that  within.  Many 
thus  hear  the  gospel  for  the  first  time,  and  are  attracted  by 
the  sweet  hymns,  which  form  a  large  part  of  the  services. 
Those  who  would  never  have  been  otherwise  reached  are 
thus  led  to  attend  public  worship. 

This  large  and  untried  field  was  first  occupied 
Medellin  by    Rev.  J.   G.  Touzeau    and  Mrs.    Touzeau, 

who  went  from  Bogota  in  1889. 

Medellin  is  an  important  city,  the  second  in  size  and 
wealth  in  Colombia,  and  the  centre  of  the  gold  mining 
region.  From  the  first,  the  sale  of  Bibles  and  books  has 
been  carried  on  with  notable  success  considering  the  bigoted 
hierarchy  and  people  of  the  whole  region.  A  little  paper, 
' '  El  Evangelista, ' '  devoted  wholly  to  spiritual  purposes, 
has  been  issued  for  several  years,  although  there  is  no  free- 
dom of  the  Press,  This  has  been  largely  due,  under  the 
blessing  of  God,  to  a  certain  good  personal  understanding 
between  Mr.  Touzeau  and  the  authorities.  Mrs.  Touzeau 
has  conducted  a  day-school  with  marked  success,  from  the 
beginning  of  her  work  in  this  city.  In  this  she  has  had  the 
aid  of  competent  native  teachers. 

There  is  a  small  church,  meeting  for  worship  in  one  of 
the  school -rooms,  and  a  class  of  inquirers  under  systematic 
instruction. 


TIIK    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMKRICA.  339 

Oil  returning  from  a  visit  to  the  United  States  in  1896, 
Mrs.  Touzeau  writes  : 

"  We  were  received  most  royally  by  the  people  here;  the  first 
detachmeut  of  boys  on  foot  met  us  at  a  distance  of  nearly  fifteen  miles 
from  Medellin,  and  soon  afterward  a  carriage  sent  out  by  a  neighbor. 
We  were  so  very  tired  with  the  riding  on  mules  that  the  change  was 
very  welcome.  Before  we  could  remove  our  traveling  gear,  the  older 
people  began  to  come  in— the  children  were  there  before  our  arrival. 
It  was  a  real  home  coming,  which  will  certainly  encourage  and 
strengthen  us  for  the  taking  up  of  the  work  again." 

Such  a  reception  on  the  part  of  those  who  are  pronounced 
Roman  Catholics,  shows  how  deeply  the  missionaries  had 
won  the  hearts  of  their  neighbors,  and  gives  hope  for  a  yet 
deeper  impression  to  result  in  the  ingathering  of  many  to 
the  Church  of  Christ. 

The  very  interesting  providential  openings  for 
Venezuela         missionary  work  in  Venezuela,  led  the  Board 

in  1S97  to  transfer  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  S.  Pond 
from  Barranquilla,  where  their  health  had  suffered  greatly, 
to  Caraccas,  the  \"euezuelan  capital.  Much  valuable  pre- 
paratory work  has  been  already  done  by  the  wide  circulation 
of  the  Bible  through  the  agents  of  the  American  Bible 
Society.  The  prayers  of  the  Church  will  follow  these  labor- 
ers into  their  new  field  of  service  for  the  Master, 
^         .  (I )  The  marriage  laws,  and  the  state  of  morals 

View^s  induced   by  the  nearly  universal  disregard  of 

the  same,  are  the  greatest  hindrance  to  the 
evangelization  of  the  people  of  Colombia.  There  can  be  no 
really  binding  marriage  covenant  save  as  celebrated  b}'  a 
priest  of  Rome,  who  usually  demands  a  fee  beyond  the 
power  of  the  masses  to  pay.  Even  civil  contracts  of  mar- 
riage are  made  null  on  certain  easy  conditions. 

(2  I  As  a  consequence,  polygamy  without  the  sanction  of 
even  Moslem  law,  is  more  common  than  in  Moslem  lands. 

(3)  The  poverty  of  many  who  would  from  conviction 
leave  the  Roman  Church,  and  of  some  who  have  left  it,  has 
been  made  use  of  by  the  priests  who  at  once  proffer  aid  or 
money  to  the  needy,  and  thus  draw  the  wanderers  back  to 
the  fold  of  Rome.  The  foreign  missionary  has  no  funds 
to  aid  all  the  Protestant  poor,  nor  would  it  always  be  wise 
to  do  so  had  he  the  money.  These  conditions  complicate 
still  more  the  very  difficult  problems  which  confront  the 
mission. 

(4)  The  fewness  of  the  laborers,  and  the  trying  climate 


340  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

seriously  affecting  the  health  of  foreign  residents,  make  the 
steady,  systematic  operations  needed  most  difficult  of  accom- 
plishment. More  workers,  many  more,  are  needed,  to  reach 
effectively  any  considerable  number  of  the  4,000,000  people 
of  this  much  neglected  portion  of  the  ' '  Neglected  Conti- 
nent." 

STATISTICS  1897. 

Churches 3 

Communicants 150 

Missionaries 17 

Native  teachers  and  helpers    13 

Pupils  in  schools 286 

Pupils  in  Sunday-schools 190 

STATIONS,  1897. 

Bogota,  the  capital  of  the  country  ;  situated  on  an  elevated  plain; 
4°  north  latitude  ;  climate  temperate  ;  population  120,000  ;  elevation 
nearly  9000  feet  ;  occupied  as  a  mission  station  in  1856  ;  laborers — 
Rev.  T.  H.  Candor  and  Mrs.  Candor,  Rev.  A.  R.  Miles  and  Mrs. 
Miles,  Rev.  M.  W.  Graham  and  Mrs.  Graham,  Miss  Celia  J.  Riley, 
and  Miss  Jessie  Scott. 

Barranouii.i<a  (Bar-ran-keel-ya),  near  the  northern  seacoast  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Magdalena  River ;  12°  N.  ;  population  30,000  ;  occu- 
pied as  a  station  in  May,  18*^8  ;  laborers — Rev.  D.  C.  Montgomery 
and  Mrs.  Montgomery,  Mrs.  E.  H.  Ladd,  Miss  Martha  B.  Hunter,  and 
Miss  Florence  E.  Smith. 

MEDE;i;<r,iN  (May-del-yeeu),  population  50,000  ;  occupied  October, 
1889  ;  situated  on  table-land  at  an  elevation  of  5000  feet,  between  the 
two  great  rivers  Magdalena  and  Cauca,  ten  days  north  of  Bogota  ; 
laborers — Rev.  J.  G.  Touzeau  and  Mrs.  Touzeau. 

Caraccas,  Venezuela,  population  72,000  ;  occupied  tentatively, 
1897  ;  laborers— Rev.  T.  S.  Pond  and  Mrs.  Pond. 


Missionaries  in  Brazil,  1853-1897. 

*  Died.    Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 


Bickerstaph,Rev.  G.  1,.  1894 

Chamberlain,  Rev.  G. 

Bickerstaph,  Mrs., 

1894 

W., 

1866 

Bixler,  Rev.  C.  E., 

1896 

Chamberlain,  Mrs., 

1868 

*Blackford,  Rev.  A.  L., 

Chamberlain  Miss  M., 

1876-1879 

1860-1876; 

1S80-1890 

Da  Gama,  Rev.  J.  F., 

1870-1891 

*Blackford,  Mrs., 

1860-1876 

Da  Gama,  Mrs., 

1870-1891 

Blackford,  Mrs., 

1S81-1891 

Da  Gama,  Miss  Eva, 

1876-189S 

Cameron,  Rev.  J.  B., 

1881-1883 

Dascomb,  Miss  M.  P. , 

Cameron,  Mrs., 

1881-18S3 

1S69-1876, 

1880 

Carrington,Rev.  W.  A. 

, 1890-1892 

Finley,  Rev.  W.  E., 

1889 

*Carrington,  Mrs., 

I 890- I 89 I 

Finley,  Mrs.,' 

1892 

THE    MISSIONS    IN    SOUTH    AMERICA. 


341 


Hazlett.  Rev.  D.  M., 

1875-18S0 

Hazlett,  Mrs., 

1S75-1880 

Hough,  Miss  Clara  E. 

,  1S90 

Houston,  Rev.  J.  T., 

1S75-18S1 

^Houston,  Mrs., 

1875-1881 

Houston,  Mrs.  (Miss  S 

A.  Dale,  1S81), 

'"1883-1891 

Howell,  Rev  J.  B., 

1873-1S90 

Howell,  Mrs., 

1877-1890 

Kolb,  Rev  J.B., 

1884 

Kolb,  Mrs.   (Miss  Gas 

ton,  1883), 

'1884 

Kuhl,  Miss  Ella, 

1874 

Kyle,Rev.  J.  M., 

1882 

Kvle,  Mrs., 

18S2 

Landes,  Rev.  G.  A., 

1880 

Landes,  Mrs., 

i8Sq 

Lane,  H.  M.,  M.D., 

1885 

lyenington,  Rev.  R., 

186S-1886 

Leniugton,  Mrs., 

1S68-1886 

Lenington,Rev.  R.  F., 

,  1896 

Leningtou,  Mrs., 

1896 

McKee,  Rev.  H.  W., 

1867-1870 

McKee,  Mrs., 

1867-1870 

McLaren,  Rev.  D., 

1885-1889 

*Pinkerton,  Rev.  E.  N., 

Pinkerton,  Mrs., 
*Perkins,  Rev.  F.  J., 
Perkins,  Mrs., 
Pires,  Rev.  E.  N., 
Porter,  Rev.  T.  J  , 
Porter,  Mrs., 
Rodgers,  Rev.  J.  B., 
Rodgers,  Mrs., 
Schneider,  Rev.  F.  J. 
C  ,  1861-1877; 

Schneider,  Mrs., 
Scott,  Miss  M.  K., 
*Simonton,  Rev.  A.  G  , 
*Simonton,  Mrs. Helen, 
*Thomas,  Miss  P.  R., 
Van  Orden,  Rev.  E., 
Van  Orden,  Mrs., 
Waddell,  Rev   W.  A., 
*Waddell,  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 
Lenington), 
Waddell,  Mrs.  (Miss  L. 
Chamberlain,  1893), 
Williamson, Miss E.  R. 


1891-1892 

1891-1S92 

1891-1S95 

1S92-1S95 

1866-1S69 

I 889- I 896 

1889-1896 

1889 

1889 

1886-1890 
1861-1877 
1 891 

1S59-1867 
I 863-1864 
1877-1890 
1872-1876 
1872-1876 


:  891-1893 


Missionaries  in  Chili,  i 859-1 897. 

*  Died.     Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 


Allis,  Rev.  J.  M.,  D.D.1884 

Lowe,  Rev.  E.  A., 

1S92 

AUis,  Mrs., 

1884 

Lowe,  Mrs., 

1895 

Boomer,  Rev.  Wm.  B, 

.,1887 

*McLean,  Rev.  Eneas, 

1878- 

1883 

Boomer,  Mrs., 

1887 

McLean,  Mrs., 

1878- 

1883 

Browning,  Rev.W.  E 

,, 

McLean,  Rev.  Robert, 

, 1877- 

1883 

Ph.D., 

1896 

McLean,  Mrs., 

1877- 

1883 

Browning,  Mrs., 

1896 

Merwin,  Rev.  A.  M., 

1866- 

1886 

Cameron,  Rev.  D., 

1884-1886 

Merwin,  Mrs., 

1866- 

1886 

Christen,  Rev.  S.  J., 

1873 

Robinson,  Rev.W.  H. 

,1887- 

■895 

Christen,  Mrs., 

1871 

Robinson,  Mrs., 

1887- 

1895 

Curtiss,  Rev.  S.  W., 

1875-1886 

Sayre,  Rev.  S., 

1866- 

1877 

Curtiss,  Mrs., 

1875-1886 

*Sayre,  Mrs., 

Dodge,  Rev.  W.  E., 

1883-1893 

Schmalhorst,Rev.  W.L.  1896 

Dodge,  Mrs., 

1885-1893 

Spining,  Rev.  C.  M., 

1895 

Garvin,  Rev.  J.  F., 

1884 

Spining,  Mrs., 

1895 

Garvin,  Mrs., 

1884 

Strout,  MissMvraH., 

1884- 

1886 

*Gilbert,  Rev.  N.  P., 

1861-1S71 

Thompson,  Rev.  J.  M. 

,1885- 

1886 

*Ibanez-Guzman,  Rev. 

*Trumbull,  Rev.  D., 

1846- 

1889 

J.  M., 

1872-1875 

*Trumbull,  Mrs., 

1846- 

1893 

Lester,  Rev.  W.  H., 

1883-1S95 

Wilson,  Rev.  J.  C, 

1890 

"*Lester,  Mrs., 

1883-18S4 

Wilson,  Mrs., 

1890 

Lester,  Mrs., 

1886-1895 

342    HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  MISSIONS  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

Missionaries.  IN  Colombia,  1859-1897. 

»Died.    Figures,  Term  of  Service  in  the  Field. 


Cahill,   Miss  E.    (Mrs 

Miles,  Mrs., 

1890 

R.  W.  Fenn), 

1890-1892 

Montgomery, Rev.D.C.  1895 

Caldwell,  Rev.  M.  E., 

I 880- I 894 

Montgomery,  Mrs., 

1S95 

Caldwell,  Mrs., 

1880-1894 

Pitkin,  Rev.  P.  H., 

1S66-1872 

Candor,  Rev.  T.  H., 

1882 

Pitkin,  Mrs., 

1866-1S72 

Candor,  Mrs.  (Miss  M 

Pond,  Rev.  T.  S., 

1S90 

Ramsey,   1880), 

'1884 

Pond,  Mrs., 

1890 

*Findlay,  Prof.  W.  W., 

1889-1889 

Pratt,  Rev.  Horace  B. 

, 1856-1860 

Graham,  Rev.  M.  W., 

1894 

*Ramsey,  Miss  A.  C, 

I 889-1889 

Graham,    Mrs.    (Miss 

Riley,  Miss  C.  J., 

1S93 

Nevegold), 

1893 

*Sharpe,  Rev.  8.  M., 

185S-1860 

Hunter,  Miss  M.  B., 

1892 

Sharpe,  Mrs.  Martha, 

I 858-1860 

Ladd,    Mrs.    E.    H. 

Smith,  Miss  F.  E., 

1895 

(Miss  Franks), 

1883 

Touzeau,  Rev.  J.  G., 

1 886 

Macintosh,  Miss  E.  E. 

,1886-1888 

Touzeau,  Mrs., 

1 886 

McFarren,  Miss  Kate, 

I 869-1 883 

Wallace,  Rev.  T.  F., 

1862-1875 

McLaren,  Rev.Wm.  E 

.1860-1863 

Wallace,  Mrs., 

1862-1875 

McLaren,  Mrs., 

1860-1863 

Weaver,  Rev.  W  , 

1874-1880 

Miles,  Rev.  A.  R., 

1890 

Weaver,  Mrs  , 

1874-1880 

Books  of  Reference.' 

Across  the  Pampas  and  the  Andes.     Robert  Crawford. 
Adventures  in  Patagonia.     Titus  Coan.     I1.25. 
A  Naturalist  on  the  Amazon.     H.  W.  Bates.     $3.00. 
Around  and  About  South  America.     F.  Vincent.     $5.00. 
Brazil  and  the  Brazilians.     Fletcher  &  Kidder.     $4.00. 
Brazil,  the  Amazons  and  the  Coast.     H.  H.  Smith. 
Capitals  of  Spanish  America.     W.  E.  Curtis. 
Chili  and  the  Chilians      R  N.  Boyd.     10s.  6d. 
Hope  Deferred  not  Lost;  Missions  to  Patagonia.  G.  F.  Despard.  55. 
Journey  in  Brazil.     L.  Agassiz.     $5.00. 
Maria  :  Trans,  from  Spanish  by  Rollo  Ogden.     $1.25. 
New  Granada.     Isaac  F.  Holton. 
Paraguay,  Brazil  and  the  Plata.     C.  B.  Mansfield. 
South  America:  the  Neglected  Continent.    E.  C.  Millard  and  Lucy 
Guinness. 
Story  of  Commander  Allen  Gardiner.    J.  W.  Marsh. 
The  Araucanians.     Edmond  R.  Smith. 
The  South  American  Republics.     Theo.  Childs. 
Travels  on  the  Amazon  and  the  Rio  Negro.     A.  R.  Wallace.     iSs, 


Syria 


province  in  the  days  ot  Paul,  ana  is  me  sj-ria  oi  ine  prescui  uc 
(23) 


SYRIA. 

Syria  is  that  Asiatic  country  at  the  eastern  end 
The  Laad  of  the   Mediterranean.     On   the  north   it  runs 

up  to  to  the  Taurus  mountains.  On  the  east 
it  stretches  away  to  the  Euphrates  and  the  Arabian  desert. 
On  the  south  Hes  Arabia.*  The  total  length  from  north  to 
south  is  some  four  hundred  miles,  and  the  area  about  sixty 
thousand  square  miles,  or  about  one  and  a  quarter  times  that 
of  Pennsylvania. 

Syria  may  be  roughly  described  as  a  country  of  alternate 
depression  and  elevation.  With  such  variety  of  surface 
there  must,  of  course,  be  great  variety  of  climate.  While 
there  is  tropical  heat  at  some  seasons  on  the  coast  and  in  the 
Jordan  valley,  Lebanon  always  carries  some  snow  and  sends 
down  ice-cold  streams.  Where  water  is  not  lacking,  the 
fertile  soil  produces  the  fruits  of  earth  in  great  variety  even 
under  the  poor  tillage  it  now  receiv'es.  Wheat,  barley,  rice, 
corn,  tobacco,  grapes,  olives,  figs,  dates,  oranges  and 
lemons  are  staples.  The  mulberry  thrives,  and  makes  the 
rearing  of  the  silkworm  and  raising  of  silk  an  important 
industry.  The  cedar,  the  pine,  the  fir,  once  clothed  the 
mountains.  Buffaloes,  camels,  horses,  goats  and  sheep  are 
the  domestic  animals.  This  land,  even  after  centuries  of 
misrule,  is  still  a  rich,  a  fair,  a  goodly  land. 

It  scarcely  need  be  said  that  Syria  is  a  storied  land.  It 
figures  largely  in  human  history.  Through  it  lies  the  great 
highway  between  Asia  and  Africa,  which  has  been  so  often 
thronged  by  caravans  of  trade,  so  often  trodden  by  hosts  of 
war.  Pharaohs  of  the  days  before  Moses,  Assyrian  con- 
querors, the  great  Alexander,  Pompey  with  his  Roman 
cohorts,  Moslem  hosts  and  crusading  armies,  French  battal- 
ions under  both  Napoleons,  conflicting  Egyptian  and  Turk- 
ish forces— all  these  appear  in  the  procession  which  has 
moved  across  the  Syrian  soil.  More  important  still,  here 
was  unrolled  the  ancient  revelation  of  the  true  God.  Patri- 
archs wandered  here  ;  this  was  in  part  the  ancient  territory 
of  the  chosen  people.  Prophet  and  apostle  lived  and  labored 
here.     Highest  of  all,  here  occurred  the  life,  the  toils,  the 

*It  is  perhaps  well  to  uotethat  this  is  not  the  Syria  of  the  Old  Testament,  from 
which  Phcenicia  and  Palestine  were  distinguished  ;  but  it  coincides  with  the  Roman 
province  in  the  days  of  Paul,  and  is  the  Syria  of  the  present  day. 

(23) 


346  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

sorrows,  the  death,  the  rising  again,  of  our  Lord.     Hence 
went  out  at  the  first  the  word  of  life  for  all  mankind. 

Who  and  what  are  the  inhabitants  of  this 
The  People  land  ?  Estimates  of  the  population  of  Syria 
vary  widely.  The  lowest  is  one  million,  the 
highest,  two  millions.  There  really  is  an  uncertain  and  ever- 
changing  element  of  considerable  magnitude  ;  we  mean  the 
wandering  desert-tribes,  who,  to-day  in  Syria,  to-morrow 
are  far  down  in  Arabia.  The  fixed  population  is  in  the 
cities,  towns  and  villages.  Damascus  has  150,000  inhabit- 
ants, and  in  the  plain  around  there  are  140  villages  with  a 
total  population  of  50,000  more.  Aleppo  has  something 
more  than  100,000  ;  Hamath,  over  50,000  ;  Hums,  60, coo  ; 
Tripoli,  36,000;  Beirut,  120,000;  Jaffa,  8000;  Jerusalem, 
25,000;  Sidon,  7000. 

As  to  races,  there  are  said  to  be  in  Syria  over  25,000 
Jews.  Those  in  Palestine — who  constitute  probably  more 
than  half — have  come  from  other  countries, whereas  the  Jew- 
ish element  in  Aleppo  and  Damascus  is  native  there.  There 
are  a  few  Turks  and  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  Armenians,  but 
the  great  bulk  of  the  population  of  Syria  is  to  be  regarded 
as  Arab.  There  is  substantially  but  one  race  ;  there  is  one 
prevalent  language  ;  there  are,  however,  many  divisions  and 
sects. 

The  Moslems  constitute  the  mass  of  the  population. 
They  are  most  numerous  in  the  secondary  towns  and  rural 
districts.  They  are  of  the  orthodox  faith,  or  Sunnites,  and 
of  course  look  to  the  Sultan  as  not  only  their  political,  but 
also  their  religious  head.  The  Druzes  are  often  counted  as 
a  Moslem  sect.  Their  doctrines  were  long  kept  secret,  but 
are  now  better  known.  Though  the  Druze  superstition 
sprang,  in  the  eleventh  century,  from  Islam,  it  has  so  far 
departed  from  it  as  not  properly  to  be  reckoned  with  it. 
They  regard  the  English  as  their  friends  ;  yet  they  have 
sometimes  been  wrought  upon  by  Turkish  Mohammedan 
influences,  and  have  taken  arms  against  those  bearing  the 
Christian  name,  as  in  1851,  1845,  and  notably  in  i860.  The 
Druzes  profess  one  God  indefinable,  incomprehensible  and 
passionless.  He  has  become  incarnate  in  a  succession  of 
ten  men,  the  last  of  whom  was  Hakim,  Caliph  of  Egypt, 
who  was  assassinated  a.d.  1044.  With  that  incarnation  the 
door  of  mercy  was  closed,  and  no  converts  are  now  to  be 
made.  Hakim  will  one  day  reappear  and  conquer  the  world. 
The  doctrine  of  the  transmigration  of  souls  is  held  by  the 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SVKIA. 


347 


Driizes.  .They  have  seven  great  coniinandnients,  one  of 
which  enjoins  truth  :  but  this  holds  among  themselves  only, 
and  practically  the  Druzes  in  this  respect  are  sadly  like  the 
Cretans  of  old.  They  do  not  believe  in  prayer.  It  has 
been  charged  that  in  their  secret  assemblies  ihey  are  guilty 
of  the  most  nefarious  practices  :  but  the  charge  has  not  been 
sustained.  There  is  among  them  a  special  class — the 
Ockals  -  who  alone  are  initiated  into  the  deeper  mysteries  of 
the  faith.  The  Druzes  are  a  mountain  people,  their  terri- 
tory embracing  the  eastern  slopes  of  Lebanon  and  all  the 
Anti-Lebanon.  Their  number  is  variously  estimated,  and 
perhaps  the  estimates  are  not  all  made  from  the  same  point 
of  view.  Some  give  fifty  thousand  ;  others  not  less  than 
three  times  that  number.  Their  political  head,  the  Great 
Emir,  lives  near  Deir  el  Kamar,  not  far  from  Beirut.  The 
Sheik  of  the  Ockals  is  the  religious  head. 

In  1895-96  there  was  almost  constant  armed  conflict 
between  the  Druzes  and  the  Turkish  Government.  At  great 
expense  of  life  and  treasure  the  strength  of  the  Druzes  was 
finally  broken  and  many  of  their  leaders  humiliated  and 
exiled,  so  that  it  will  probably  be  a  long  time  before  this 
warlike  people  will  again  be  in  a  position  to  exercise  much 
influence.  During  these  conflicts  two  churches  connected 
with  Sidon  station,  at  Mejdel  and  Ain  Kunyeh,  were  sacked 
and  partially  destroyed,  while  the  people  were  almost  im- 
poverished. 

The  Nusaireeyeh  are  a  strange,  wild,  bloodthirsty  race, 
numbering  about  two  hundred  thousand,  who  live  to  the 
north  of  Mount  Lebanon,  inhabiting  the  mountains  that  ex- 
tend from  Antioch  to  Tripoli.  They  keep  their  doctrines 
secret,  and  have  signs  of  recognition,  like  a  secret  order. 
Women  are  not  allowed  to  be  initiated,  and  are  meanly 
esteemed.  Polygamy  is  common,  and  divorce  occurs  at  the 
will  of  the  man.     Swearing  and  lying  are  universal. 

We  come  now  to  the  nominal  Christians  of  Arab  race 
and  tongue.  They  are,  first,  the  Greeks.,  about  150,000  in 
number.  They  are  called  Greeks,  although  Arabs  by  race, 
simply  on  account  of  their  religion,  being  orthodox  mem- 
bers of  the  Greek  Church.  They  are  under  the  patronage 
of  Russia  and  have  a  patriarch  of  Antioch  and  a  number  of 
bishops. 

The  Jacobites  are  a  small  body  of  dissenters  from  the 
Greek  Church.  They  get  their  name  from  Jacobus,  Bishop 
of  Edessa,  who  died  a.d.  578. 


348  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

The  Greek  Catholics  are  converts  from  the  Greek  Church 
to  Romanism.  They  have,  however,  made  few  changes  in 
passing  over.  Their  worship  is  in  their  native  Arabic. 
Their  priests  are  allowed  to  marry.  The  sect  embraces 
about  fifty  thousand  souls,  and  includes  many  of  the  most 
enterprising  and  wealthy  of  the  native  Christians  of  Syria. 
They  have  had  a  patron  in  Austria. 

The  Maronitcs  represent  the  ancient  Syrian  Church.  They 
get  their  name  from  John  Maro,  monk,  priest  and  patriarch, 
who  died  a.d.  707.  Since  the  twelfth  century  they  have 
been  in  close  communion  with  the  Latin  Church,  though 
adhering  to  the  Oriental  rite.  Their  service  is  conducted  in 
the  Syriac,  a  language  not  understood  by  the  people.  They 
are  ignorant  and  bigoted.  Their  head  is  the  patriarch  of 
Antioch,  whose  residence  is  in  the  convent  of  Canobin, 
near  Tripoli.  The  Maronites  number  one  hundred  and 
fifty  thousand,  and  dwell  chiefly  in  Mount  Lebanon  They 
cherish  friendship  for  the  French.  These  then  are  the  sects 
— the  orthodox  Greek  Church,  the  Jacobites,  the  Greek 
Catholics  and  the  Maronites — that  make  up  the  nominally 
Christian  element,  in  the  Arab  population  of  Syria. 

To  some  extent  these  various  elements  form  separate 
communities.  Thus  the  Druzes  are  the  exclusive  popula- 
tion of  about  120  towns  and  villages.  So  there  are  regions 
where  Maronites  alone  are  found.  Sometimes,  however, 
they  are  mingled.  In  the  north  Druzes  are  intermingled 
with  Maronites,  in  the  south  with  Greeks.  They  share  thus 
with  the  Christians  the  occupation  of  about  230  villages. 
This  contact  may,  at  times,  do  something  to  increase  the 
spirit  of  toleration  ;  at  others  it  onl}^  gives  greater  occasion 
for  bitterness  and  jealousy.  Religious  and  political  hatred 
and  distrust  would  readily  break  out  into  violence  if 
allowed.  The  conflict  between  Egypt  and  Turkey,  ending 
in  1840,  broke  up  peaceful  relations  that  had  long 
existed  between  Druzes  and  Maronites,  and  since  then  there 
have  been  a  number  of  ' '  battle  years." 

_._    .  .       ,    It   must   be   obvious  that  the  presence  of  so 
the  Field  many  rival  and  jealous  sects,  all  calling  them- 

selves Christians,  constitutes  a  very  great 
difficulty  in  this  mission  field.  A  still  greater  is  oflFered  by 
the  religion  dominant  in  the  land. 

The  law  long  made  it  death  for  a  Moslem  to  change  his 
faith.  In  1843  a  young  man  was  publicly  beheaded  in  Con- 
stantinople on  this  account.     This  event  was  the  starting- 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  349 

point  of  a  series  of  diplomatic  agitations,  which  cuhninated 
after  the  Crimean  War  in  the  issue  of  the  Ilatti  Humaiyoun, 
ihe  //rwau  in  which  the  sultan  ordained  religious  liberty. 
But  the  letter  of  this  charter  has  always  been  evaded.  The 
Turks  in  general  do  not  understand  religious  liberty  in  the 
same  sense  in  which  we  do.  Practically,  freedom  of  con- 
science does  not  exist  for  converts  from  Mohammedanism. 
These  abandon  the  faith  of  their  fathers  at  their  own  peril. 
But  were  there  no  hindrances  of  this  kind,  there  would 
remain  Moslem  pride  and  bigotry.  In  the  Turkish  empire 
the  nominal  Christians  are  in  a  state  of  subjection;  and  it  is 
not  often  the  case  that  the  rulers  accept  the  faith  of  the 
ruled.  There  have  been  special  reasons  why  it  has  not  been 
so  here.  There  has  been,  it  must  be  confessed,  little  to 
attract  in  the  Christianity  exhibited  by  the  fossilized  churches 
of  the  East.  The  Moslem's  notions  of  Christianity  have 
been  derived  from  those  whose  doctrines  are  corrupt,  whose 
w^orship  is  idolatrous,  whose  morals  are  debased.  The  very 
truth  contained  in  the  Moslem's  system — its  doctrine  of  the 
spirituality  of  God— has  been  an  obstacle  to  the  progress  of 
Protestantism,  which  he  has  been  unable  to  distinguish  from 
the  forms  of  Christianity  with  which  he  was  familiar. 

The  oppression  of  the  Turkish  Government  acts  indi- 
rectly as  an  hindrance  to  the  progress  of  missionary  work, 
while  its  active  opposition  must  constantly  be  met  with 
patient,  persistent  effort  on  the  part  of  the  mission  to  secure 
the  fulfillment  of  promises  and  protection  against  the  viola- 
tion of  contracts.  The  poverty  of  the  people  is  largely  the 
result  of  the  oppressive  system  of  taxation  which  gives 
little  encouragement  to  industry  or  frugality,  and  thousands 
of  the  inhabitants  have  been  driven  to  emigration. 

"People  are  so  pressed  iu  the  unequal  strife,'"  writes  one  mis- 
sionary, "  that  they  cannot  or  will  not  give  time  to  anything  else. 
The  Sabbath  is  broken  by  labor  from  which  they  claim  they  cannot 
escape  If  six  men  agree  to  harvest  their  grain  in  a  ceitain  part  of 
the  plain,  during  the  coming  week,  and  in  so  doing  work  on  two 
Sabbaths,  the  seventh  man  must  work  with  them,  even  under  pro- 
test, for  the  moment  the  six  men  are  through  Ihev  drive  their  cattle 
into  the  stubble,  and  if  the  se\enth  man's  grain  is  still  standing  he 
will  lose  half  his  year's  toil  in  a  single  night.  Moslems,  of  course, 
have  no  Sabbath,  neither  have  the  Druzes,  and  the  members  of  the 
Oriental  churches  are  excused  after  early  mass.  Indeed,  they  are 
taught  that  a  special  blessing  will  attend  their  labors  if  they  will 
plough  and  reap  on  the  Sabbath  the  portions  designed  for  the  priests 
and  the  poor."* 

*Rev.  F.  E.  Hoskin.s,  Church  at  Home  atici  Abroad,  Oeceniber,  1889. 


350  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

This  is  only  an  illustration  of  the  obstacles  that  stand 
in  the  way  of  the  convert,  when  trying  to  conform  his  life 
to  Scriptural  rules. 

Missionary  Work  in  Syria. 

The  history  of  American  missions  in  Syria — and  they  are 
the  principal  ones  theref — begins  with  the  appointment,  in 
1818,  of  Pliny  Fisk  and  Levi  Parsons,  as  missionaries  to 
Palestine,  These  zealous  and  devoted  men  were  sent  out 
by  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Mis- 
sions— at  that  time  and  for  a  number  of  years  later  the  only 
agency  for  foreign  evangelistic  work  available  to  American 
Presbyterians.  In  1870,  at  the  reunion  of  the  Old  and  New 
School  branches  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  the  members  of 
the  former  New  School  body,  who  had  constituted  a  very 
considerable  proportion  of  the  supporters  of  the  American 
Board,  gave  up  their  relation  to  it  and  became  constituents 
of  the  Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  In  the 
readjustment  of  work  which  these  changes  made  necessary, 
the  care  of  the  mission  in  Syria  was  transferred  to  the 
Presbyterian  Board. 

Mr.  Parsons  arrived  at  Jerusalem  February  17, 
Jerusalem  182 1.     He  was  the  first  Protestant  missionary 

who  ever  resided  there,  and  he  began  the  work 
of  distributing  the  Scriptures.  It  was  not  long,  however, 
before  the  disturbing  influence  of  the  revolt  in  Greece,  and 
of  the  effort  of  that  country  to  secure  its  independence  of 
Turkey,  extended  to  Syria.  Mr.  Parsons  thought  it  best  to 
withdraw  for  a  time,  and  he  did  not  live  to  return,  as  his 
death  occurred  in  Egypt,  February  10,  1822.  Mr.  Fisk 
reached  Jerusalem  in  1823.  having  been  joined  on  the  way 
by  Jonas  King,  known  afterward  so  long  and  so  well  by  his 
evangelistic  labors  in  Greece.  The  brethren  preached  and 
taught  in  Jerusalem,  with  various  intervals  of  sojourn  and 
travel  in  other  parts  of  the  land,  until  the  spring  of  1825. 
As  the  quiet  of  the  region   was  disturbed  by  the  acts  of  the 

fThe  Irish  Presbyterian  Church  has  a  station  in  Damascus;  the  British  Syrian 
.School  Society  has  schools  in  Beirut,  Damascus,  Zahleh,  Lebanon,  Baalbek,  Has- 
beiya  and  Tyre;  the  Lebanon  Schools  Committee  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland 
has  a  number  of  schools  in  the  Lebanon  district;  the  Established  Church  of  Scot- 
land has  a  mission  to  the  Jews  in  Beirut;  the  Church  Missionary  .Society  (Church  of 
England)  occupies  Palestine  ;  the  Reformed  Presbyterian  Church  of  the  United 
States  has  a  mission  at  Latakia  and  other  points,  laboring  chiefly  among  the 
Nusaireeyeh  race.  The  Presbyterian  Church  of  England  has  a  mission  in  Aleppo, 
especially  for  the  Jews.  See'  these  named,  with  some  other  enterprises,  in  the 
Foreign  Missionary  for  December,  1S82,  and  The  Church  at  Home  and  Abroad, 
December,  1889 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  35 1 

pasha  of  Damascus,  who  had  come  with  an  armed  force  to 
collect  tribute  due  him,  the  missionaries  then  withdrew. 
Mr.  King  left  Syria  shortl)- and  Mr.  Fisk  died.  The  station 
at  Jerusalem  was  suspended  for  nearly  nine  years.  Subse- 
quent efforts  to  revive  it  were  not  successful,  and,  in  1844, 
it  was  finally  abandoned. 

It  having  thus  early  become  apparent  that 
Beirut  Jerusalem  was  not  a  favorable  centre  for  mis- 

sionary operations,  as  far  back  as  1823  a  new 
point  was  chosen.  This  was  Beirut,  an  ancient  city  on  the 
Mediterranean  Coast,  with  a  roadstead  and  a  small  artificial 
harbor.  It  was  the  port  of  Damacus,  distant  seventy-five 
miles,  or  by  diligence  fourteen  hours,  but  is  now  the  more 
important  city  of  the  two  as  respects  commerce.  A  railroad 
now  connects  Beirut  with  Damascus  and  the  Hauran,  and 
another  is  under  construction  on  the  seacoast  to  connect 
Sidon  and  Tripoli,  passing  through  Beirut.  To  the  east,  at 
no  great  distance,  and  stretching  to  north  and  south,  is  the 
range  of  Mount  Lebanon;  to  the  south  is  a  beautiful  and 
fertile  plain.  The  city  rises  from  the  water's  edge  and 
extends  back  upon  a  hill.  From  a  population  of  perhaps 
15,000,  in  1820,  Beirut  has  increased  to  at  least  120,000, 
This  is  mainly  Semitic  and  comprises  Druzes,  Maronites, 
Greeks  (/.  <?.,  Arabs  belonging  to  the  Greek  Church j,  Mos- 
lems and  Jews.  The  streets  are  wide,  the  houses  lofty  and 
spacious,  the  suburbs  beautiful  with  gardens  and  trees,  and 
it  is  well  supplied  with  water.  From  the  sea  the  aspect  is 
more  that  of  a  European  than  an  Oriental  city. 

The  first  missionaries,  Messrs.  Bird  and  Goodell,  landed 
October  16,  1823.  They  occupied  themselves  with  the  cir- 
culation of  the  Scriptures,  which  soon  excited  the  opposition 
of  the  Papists,  and  called  out  the  anathemas  of  the  Maronite 
and  Syrian  patriarchs;  with  the  preparation  of  useful  books; 
and  with  the  education  of  the  young.  Even  in  its  early 
stages  the  work  was  not  without  result,  but  it  was  also 
exposed  to  the  incidents  and  consequences  of  that  war  which 
Greece  waged  for  independence;  and,  in  the  unsettled  state 
of  the  whole  East,  Messrs.  Bird,  Goodell  and  Smith — Eli 
Smith,  who  had  joined  the  mission  the  year  before — thought 
best  to  remove  for  a  time  and  retired  to  Malta  in  May,  1828. 

In  1830,  Mr.  Bird  and  wife  returned  to  Beirut  and 
were  followed  later  by  Mr.  Smith.  The  work  was  taken  up 
in  the  same  forms,  and,  with  the  exception  of  another  period 
of  suspension,  1839-40,  similar  to  the  one  just  mentioned. 


352  HISTORICAI.   SKETCH    OF 

it  has  been  prosecuted  ever  since.  The  history  of  the  mis- 
sion, like  that  of  every  other,  presents  alternations  of  suc- 
cess and  discouragement.  Sometimes  the  record  is  of  death 
or  of  the  removal  of  workers  on  account  of  failing  health, 
and  there  come  earnest  appeals  for  reinforcement.  There 
are  times  of  quiet  and  times  of  persecution.  There  are  sea- 
sons of  great  promise  and  again  there  is  need  of  faith  and 
patience,  as  what  seemed  opportunities  of  expanded  work 
and  permanent  growth  vanish.  Having  so  large  an  element 
of  Moslem  population,  Syria  is  wonderfully  responsive  to 
agitations  of  the  Moslem  world  and  to  the  fact  that  its 
fortunes  are  bound  up  with  those  of  the  Turkish  Empire,  of 
which  it  forms  a  part.  The  land  has  frequently  been  dis- 
turbed by  political  commotions  in  which  hopes  and  fears 
depend  upon  the  attitude  and  action  of  the  European  pow- 
ers, and  these  influences  have  had  their  effect  upon  the  prog- 
ress of  missionary  work.  Such  events  as  the  Russo-Turkish 
War  of  1877,  the  rebellion  of  Arabi  Pasha  in  Egypt  in  1882, 
and  the  rebellion  of  the  Mahdiin  1883  have  been  prejudicial 
to  such  work  by  introducing  into  the  mission  field  a  new, 
disorderly,  corrupting  and  hostile  element.  During  the 
Russian  War,  thousands  of  ruffianly  Circassians  were  shipped 
from  Constantinople  to  Syria,  and  there  let  loose  to  lead  a 
life  of  beggary  and  robbery.  The  Egyptian  rebellion  brought 
another  army  of  refugees  from  Egypt,  to  demoralize  every 
port  and  beach  on  which  they  landed.  They  have  moreover 
been  prejudicial  by  ministering  to  excitement  and  fomenting 
fanaticism.  In  some  localities  the  popular  hatred  seems 
intensified,  and  shows  itself  in  outbreaks  of  opposition  from 
time  to  time. 

The  effect  of  the  Druze  and  Armenian  troubles  of 
1894-96  have  indirectly  affected  all  missionary  work  by 
increasing  the  poverty  of  the  people,  creating  a  general  feel- 
ing of  anxiety  and  furnishing  fresh  opportunity  for  law- 
lessness. 
_      p  The    first   printing   in   connection    with  the 

54.»  T>„Kn^»♦;,^^o  mission  was  done  at  Malta,  where  the  Ameri- 
its  Pubhcations  _,        ,,     ,  ^,i-i  ^-rn 

can  Board  had  an  establishment  m  full  opera- 
tion as  early  as  1826.  There  were  three  presses  and  fonts 
of  type  in  several  languages,  Arabic  included.  In  1834  the 
Arabic  portion  of  the  establishment  was  transferred  to  Bei- 
rut. Mr.  Smith,  who  had  charge  of  the  Press,  bestowed 
much  thought  and  labor  upon  the  outfit,  taking  the  greatest 
pains  to  secure  models  of  the  most  approved  characters  and 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  353 

to  have  the  type  cast  corresponding  with  these.  Fur  many 
years  he  read  the  proof-sheets  of  nearly  every  work  printed 
and  became  one  of  tlie  most  accurate  and  finished  Arabic 
scholars  of  his  day. 

The  Press  has  continued  in  active  operation  with  an  en- 
larged establishment  and  more  complete  equipments.  The 
total  number  of  pages  printed  from  the  beginning  amounts 
to  over  six  hundred  millions.  The  issues  comprise  weekly 
and  monthly  journals,  Westminster  Sunday-school  lessons, 
text  books  and  educational  works  of  all  grades,  tracts, 
Bibles,  an  Arabic  hymn-book  and  other  books,  religious 
and  miscellaneous.  The  list  of  publications  includes  more 
than  six  hundred  and  fifty  titles. 

Previous  to  the  transfer  to  Beirut  three  works  had  been 
issued  in  Arabic.  One  was  "The  P'arewell  Letter  of  Rev. 
Jonas  King,"  another  was  "Asaad  Shidiak's  Statement  of 
his  Conversion  and  Persecutions,"  the  third  was  Mr.  Bird's 
"  Reply  to  the  Maronite  Bishop  of  Beirut.'" 

■  Among  the  works  issued  from  the  Press  at  Beirut  we 
mention  text-books  on  ' '  Scripture  Interpretation  and  Sys- 
tematic Theology,"  by  Dr.  Dennis;  a  translation  of  the 
"Confession  of  Faith,"  by  Dr.  C.  V.  A  Van  Dyck  ;  and 
a  "Commentary  on  the  New  Testament,"  by  Dr.  W.  W. 
Eddy,  the  fourth  volume  of  which  is  now  completed. 

We  are  indebted  to  Syrian  missionaries,  if  not  to  the 
mission  Press,  for  most  excellent  literary  work  in  the  service 
of  Biblical  and  scientific  learning.  Dr.  Robinson's  "  Re- 
searches in  Palestine" — still  the  great  authority  in  its  de- 
partment— owes  something  to  the  labors  of  Dr.  Eli  Smith, 
who  traveled  with  its  author,  and  gave  him  the  assistance  of 
his  Arabic  s<holarship.  Dr.  Wm.  M.  Thomson  was  fitted  by 
his  life  in  Syria  to  write  his  work,  no  less  useful  than 
charming.  "The  Land  and  the  Book,"  while  Dr.  Post's 
"  Flora  of  Palestine  and  Syria,"  the  result  of  twelve  years' 
patient  study  and  labor,  is  a  choice  contribution  to  the 
science  of  botany.  But  the  great  glory  of  the  mission  is  its 
translation  of  the  Bible  into  Arabic.  There  existed  numer- 
ous translations  already,  both  of  the  Old  Testament  and  the 
New,  some  in  print  and  some  in  manuscript.  These,  how- 
ever, were  of  comparatively  late  date,  and  were  in  some 
cases  made  from  other  versions,  as  Syriac,  Coptic,  Latin, 
etc.  The  text  of  the  translation  used  by  the  missionaries 
came  from  Rome.  It  offended  the  taste  of  the  Arabs,  fas- 
tidious as  to  correctness  of  language  and  elegance  of  style, 


354  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

and  it  was  resolved  to  make  a  new  translation  into  Arabic 
from  the  inspired  originals. 

The  work  was  begun  by  Dr.  Eli  Smith,  who  was  aided 
by  Mr.  Bistany,  a  native  scholar.  When  Dr.  Smith  died, 
eight  years  later — in  1857 — he  had  put  into  Arabic  more 
than  three-quarters  of  the  Bible.  A  small  portion  had  re- 
ceived his  final  and  exacting  revision,  and  a  much  larger 
part  was  nearly  ready  for  the  press.  The  work  was 
taken  up  by  Dr.  C.  V.  A.  Van  Dyck,  connected  with  the 
mission  from  1840,  and  recognized  by  all  as  possessing  in 
high  degree  the  necessary  qualifications.  He  had  the  assist- 
ance also  of  the  best  native  scholarship.  The  translation 
was  finished  in  1864,  and  the  entire  Bible  printed  in  1865. 
It  was  thus  the  work  of  sixteen  years. 

The  little  room  where  the  work  was  done  is  now  a  part 
of  the  Beirut  Female  Seminary  and  a  memorial  tablet  in 
Arabic  and  English,  commemorating  the  fact,  has  been 
placed  on  the  wall.  The  translation  of  the  Scriptures  is 
praised  as  accurate  and  classical.  It  is  now  printed  in  New 
York,  London  and  Beirut,  in  different  sizes  and  in  cheap 
and  attractive  form.  Let  us  remember  that  this  is  a  mis- 
sionary achievement  not  for  Syria  alone  :  it  is  a  work  for 
all  Mohammedan  lands.  Sixty  millions  speak  Arabic  as 
their  native  tongue.  It  is  the  sacred  language  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  millions,  who  dwell  in  all  quarters  of  the 
world. 

In  speaking  of  the  translation  of  the  Bible,  mention  was 
made  of  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Bistany,  a  native  scholar. 
His  death  in  1883,  at  the  age  of  sixty-five,  was  a  loss  to 
Syria,  and  especially  to  the  Beirut  Church,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  original  members  and  most  active  workers.  A 
Maronite,  he  became  a  convert  about  1 840.  He  is  said  to  have 
been  the  most  learned,  industrious  and  successful,  as  well  as 
the  most  influential  man  of  modern  Syria.  Chief  among 
his  literary  labors  was  the  preparation  of  two  Arabic  Dic- 
tionaries and  of  an  Arabic  Encyclopedia.  The  latter  is  in 
twelve  volumes,  a  compilation  and  translation  from  the  best 
French,  English  and  American  works,  with  additions. 

For  many  years  no  government  restriction  interfered 
with  the  work  of  the  Mission  Press.  Now,  however,  a  strict 
censorship  has  been  instituted,  and  all  manuscript  must  be 
submitted  for  inspection.  It  was  required  that  a  translation 
of  "  Black  Beauty  "  should  be  known  as  "  Black  Horse," 
because  the  word  for  Beauty  happens  to  be  the  name  of  a 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  355 

high  official.  Every  reference  to  Armenia  in  a  school  geog- 
raphy was  condemned  and  several  pages  had  to  be  reprinted 
to  satisfy  the  inspector.  Most  of  the  books  issued,  includ- 
ing the  Scriptures,  have  been  officially  sanctioned,  but  the 
weekly  paper,  the  Xcs/ifa,  has  received  severe  criticism  and 
was  temporarily  suppressed.  Permission  to  continue  it  was 
accompanied  with  the  condition  that  "  they  should  publish 
in  it  no  news  whatever  of  current  events  which  happen 
within  the  empire  or  outside  its  borders,  but  they  should 
confine  themselves  to  the  di.scussion  of  scientific,  moral  and 
religious  questions,'"  and  "they  should  make  no  adverse 
criticism  upon  the  religious  beliefs  of  any  of  the  sects  of  the 
empire." 

The  same  government  inspection  is  exercised  over 
English  books  passing  through  the  custom  house.  Some 
have  been  confiscated,  others  returned  to  their  owners  wath 
objectionable  passages  torn  out. 

Educational  work  has  been  especially  promi- 

Education         nent  in  Syria.     Schools  were  begun  in  Beirut 

in    1824.     Ivittle  companies  of  children  were 

first  gathered  by  the  wives  of  the  missionaries,  and  as  the 

number  of  pupils  increased,  native  assistants  were  employed. 

Contrary  to  the  native  idea  that  it  was  unnecessary  and 
even  unsafe  that  a  woman  should  be  taught,  the  mission- 
aries received  girls  into  their  families  and  allowed  them  to 
share  equally  with  their  brothers  in  the  privileges  of  the 
schools. 

In  1S94  a  memorial  column  was  unveiled  in  Beirut,  on 
the  spot  where  had  stood  fifty-nine  years  before,  the  first 
building  ever  erected  in  the  Turkish  Empire  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  girls.  One  of  the  speakers  on  this  occasion  was  Miss 
Alice  Bistany,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Smith's  assistant,  already 
referred  to.  Her  mother  was  an  adopted  daughter  of  Mrs. 
Smith  and  was  the  first  girl  taught  to  read  in  Syria.  At 
first  only  reading  and  writing  were  taught,  as  there  was  no 
demand  for  higher  instruction ;  nor  were  there  teachers  quali- 
fied to  give  it.  These  schools,  for  both  boys  and  girls, 
spread  from  Beirut  into  other  parts  of  the  land  -  into  Mount 
Lebanon,  into  the  interior,  into  the  other  cities  of  the  coast. 
They  have  done  a  good  work,  raising  up  a  great  body  of 
readers,  causing  a  demand  for  books  and  preparing  the  way 
for  higher  schools.  Many  taught  in  them  have  become  con- 
verts, and  thus  Protestantism  has  been  advanced.  Bible 
instruction  is  made  prominent,  and  the  amount  of  Scripture 


356  .  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

committed  to  memory,  which  can  be  recited  whenever  called 
for,  is  a  surprise  to  any  visitor  at  the  village  schools. 

Dr.  Dennis  writes  in  The  Church  at  Home  and  Abroad., 
December,  1889 : 

"I  have  attended  examinations  in  the  village -schools  in  Syria 
where  classes  of  the  children  recited  entire  books  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment by  heart.  Once  I  examined  a  class  in  the  Gospel  of  Matthew 
and  they  knew  it  from  beginning  to  end.  I  have  heard  them  examined 
in  Scripture  history  in  considerable  detail,  from  Genesis  to  Revela- 
tion. I  have  heard  them  recite  the  Catechism,  giving  from  memory 
the  proof-text  with  every  answer.  They  will  recite  from  ten  to  forty 
hymns,  if  you  have  time  to  hear  them." 

Government  interference  and  opposition  of  priests  often 
hinder  the  work  of  these  schools  and  make  it  necessary  to 
close  them  for  longer  or  shorter  periods. 

The  number  of  Covimo?i  Schools  has  increased  to  132  with 
more  than  6200  pupils,  of  whom  more  than  1800  are  girls. 
There  are,  perhaps,  an  equal  number  of  other  schools — 
Moslem,  Greek,  Maronite,  Druzeand  Jewish — which  would 
never  have  existed  save  for  those  under  the  care  of  the  mis- 
sion. For  these  mission  schools  have  not  only  furnished 
many  competent  teachers,  but  they  have  had  an  important 
influence  in  rousing  other  sects  to  rivalry,  in  diffusing  knowl- 
edge and  raising  the  standard  of  intelligence. 
g      ,.  More  advanced  schools  soon  became  necessary, 

Schools  ^^^  have  been  established  in  the  different  sta- 

for  Girls  tions.     Three  boarding-schools    for  girls  give 

opportunity  for  more  thorough  intellectual 
training  of  the  young  women  of  Syria,  and  afford  the  teach- 
ers a  greater  opportunity  to  influence  their  characters  and 
lives  than  if  they  returned  to  their  homes  each  day. 

Beirut  Semmary  wsiS  established  in  1861,  and  for  some 
years  was  supported  by  private  means,  but  since  1872  has 
been  under  the  care  of  the  Women's  Boards  of  Foreign  Mis- 
sions of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  The  patronage  comes 
from  all  quarters — Protestant,  Greek,  Catholic,  Maronite, 
Jewish  and  Moslem,  The  number  of  paying  pupils  has 
steadily  increased. 

Sidon  Seminary  was  founded  in  1863  as  a  purely  mis- 
sionary institution,  with  a  view  to  training  teachers  and 
helpers  in  the  work.  It  has  generally  received  as  boarders 
onl}^  Protestant  girls,  who  perform  the  household  duties  of 
the  institution,  after  the  Holyoke  plan.  The  day-school  is 
made  up  of  girls  from  all  the  sects,  including  Jew,  Moslem 
and  Metawaly. 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  357 

Tripoli  Seminary  is  a  younger  institution,  the  outgrowth 
of  a  High  School  for  girls,  established  in  1873.  A  fine  prop- 
erty was  bought  for  it  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  in  1876,  at  a  cost  of  ;Jio,ooo,  and  a  new  building 
was  put  up  iu  1882.  The  first  class,  numbering  nine,  was 
graduated  in  1885. 

In  all  these  schools  the  ladies  in  charge  are  assisted  by 
native  teachers.  Much  careful  religious  instruction  is  given, 
while  thorough  work  of  a  high  grade  is  required  in  the  class- 
room. As  a  result  the  graduates  and  those  who  are  con- 
nected with  the  school  for  a  shorter  time  carry  with  them 
to  their  homes,  not  only  literary  and  scientific  knowledge, 
but  much  Scripture  truth,  and  the  personal  influence  of  the 
lives  and  example  of  their  teachers.  Many  of  them  become 
earnest  Christians,  and,  in  their  turn,  as  teachers  and  wives 
and  mothers,  become  centres  of  Christian  influence  all 
through  the  laud. 

Abeih  Seminary  a)id  Suk  cl    (rhiirb   Training 

c°^I«J°^"  School.— In  1834  we  find  at  Beirut  ten  interest- 

Schools  .  ■      ■  ■        ^  ^-  C  .Li- 

For  Bovs  "^S  young  men  receiving  instruction  from  the 

missionaries  in  English  and  in  science.  Out 
of  this  grew  a  seminary  for  boys,  suspended  in  1842,  but 
revived  at  Abeih  in  1845,  and  placed  under  the  care  of  Mr. 
Calhoun.  It  was  meant  to  raise  up  teachers  and  pastors; 
but  the  end  was  not  accomplished  as  fully  as  was  hoped, 
although  considerable  classes  were  gathered,  and  these  from 
many  quarters.  In  1850,  for  example,  of  nineteen  pupils 
four  were  Druzes,  three  Greeks,  four  Maronites,  four  Greek 
Catholics,  two  Protestants,  one  Syrian  and  one  Armenian. 
Up  to  1870  most  of  the  teachers  in  the  schools  and  religious 
instructors  in  the  congregations  were  graduates  of  this  insti- 
tution. 

Mr.  Calhoun  left  the  Seminary  in  1875,  and  Mr.  Wood 
was  transferred  to  Abeih  and  put  in  charge.  L,ater  it  seemed 
that  the  work  accomplished  by  this  Seminary  might  better 
be  done  by  the  preparatory  department  of  the  Syrian  Pro- 
testant College  at  Beirut.  In  accordance  with  this  view  the 
Seminary  was  closed  in  1877,  though  the  number  of  pupils 
had  never  been  so  large.  A  new  enterprise  connected  with 
this  Abeih  field  was  begun  in  1S82.  A  boys'  school  at 
Schweifat  was  broken  up  by  a  rival  Greek  school.  The 
teachers  were  thereupon  transferred  to  Suk  el  Ghurb,  and  a 
boarding-school  for  boys  opened  there.  It  began  with  34 
pupils,  and  has  prospered  from  that  time.     It  is  known  as 


358  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  Training  School  at  Suk  el  Ghurb,  and  is  recognized  as 
an  influence  for  good  through  the  region, 

SidoJi  Academy. — This  is  a  boys'  High  School,  with 
boarding  department,  gathering  pupils  from  all  sects  and 
from  all  parts  of  the  land. 

Some  of  the  pupils  pass  on  from  the  Academy  to  the 
college  at  Beirut  and  many  of  the  mission  helpers  have 
received  their  early  training  at  Sidon.  In  1895  the  scope  of 
the  institution  was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  an  Industrial 
Department  and  provision  was  also  made  for  the  care  and 
instruction  of  orphan  boys  of  Protestant  parentage.  Much 
of  the  work  of  the  house  is  done  by  the  boys  and  useful 
trades  are  taught  as  a  means  of  present  and  future  support. 
A  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  not  far  from  the  city  has  been 
secured  for  the  use  of  the  Orphan  Department. 

The  Bedouin  School  at  Jedeideh. — In  this  same  Sidon  field 
there  is  another  claimant  for  interest.  From  the  mode  of 
their  life  the  wandering  Bedouin  are  necessarily  very  diffi- 
cult of  access  by  evangelistic  effort.  In  1883  something  was 
attempted  for  them  by  opening  a  school  for  Bedouin  boys. 
It  began  with  six  pupils.  The  second  year  showed  an  ad- 
vance in  stability  and  resources.  There  were  nine  pupils ; 
and  their  living  expenses  were  borne  by  the  native  churches. 
This  school  has  been  maintained  most  of  the  time  since,  with 
assistance  from  the  mission. 

This  school  was  begun  in  1869  in  connection 
Semina^rv  at  ^'^^^  ^^^^  seminary  at  Abeih.  Dr.  Je.ssup,  of 
Beirut  Beirut,   and  Rev.  W.  W.  Eddy,    from  Sidon, 

were  associated  with  Mr.  Calhoun  in  the  charge 
of  it.  The  first  class  was  graduated  in  1871,  consisting  of 
five  young  men,  one  of  whom  was  a  Druze  convert.  The 
next  year,  no  suitable  class  offering,  the  institution  was  sus- 
pended. It  was  reopened  at  Beirut  in  1874,  with  four  stu- 
dents and  a  building  was  erected  on  ground  given  by  the  Trus- 
tees of  the  College.  As  a  measure  of  economy  and  because 
of  the  emigration  of  so  many  of  the  educated  young  men, 
the  Theological  Department  at  Beirut  was  suspended  in 
1892.  Three  years  later  arrangements  were  made  to  give  a 
theological  course  of  six  months  to  promising  young  men  at 
Suk  el  Ghurb.  The  members  of  this  class  are  now  among 
the  most  useful  Protestant  preachers  in  Syria. 
„     .      p  This  time  came  when  the  need  was  felt  for  au 

es^ant^ College  institution  of  high  order.     The  project  for  a 

Syrian   Protestant  college  was  discussed  at  a 


thf:  missions  in  syria.  359 

meeting  of  the  mission  in  1861,  and  the  plan  sketched. 
"The  objects  deemed  essential  were,  to  enable  natives  to 
obtain  in  their  own  country,  in  their  own  language,  and  at  a 
moderate  cost,  a  thorough  literary,  scientific  and  professional 
education;  to  found  an  institution  which  should  be  con- 
ducted on  principles  strictly  evangelical,  but  not  sectarian, 
with  doors  open  to  youth  of  every  Oriental  sect  and  natior.- 
ality  who  would  conform  to  its  regulations,  but  so  ordered 
that  students,  while  elevated  intellectually  and  spiritually, 
should  not  materially  change  their  native  customs.  The 
hope  was  entertained  that  much  of  the  instruction  might  at 
once  be  intrusted  to  pious  and  competent  natives,  and  that 
ultimately  the  teaching  could  be  left  in  the  hands  of  those  who 
had  been  raised  up  by  the  college  itself. ' '  It  was  deemed  best 
that  the  college  should  be  independent  of  the  Board  of  Mis- 
sions. Still  the  connection  wdth  the  mission  could  not  but 
be  close.  "  Missionary  instruction  created  a  demand  for  it ; 
the  plans  and  prayers  and  labors  of  missionaries  established 
it:  the  friends  of  missions  endowed  it.  Its  aim  and  that  of 
other  missionary  labor  are  one — the  enlightenment  and  salva- 
tion of  the  Arabic-speaking  race,"  Most  of  the  money 
was  raised  in  America.  A  plot  of  ground  was  purchased  in 
the  suburbs  of  Beirut,  and  buildings  were  erected.  The 
college  was  opened  in  1866,  with  a  class  of  fourteen  mem- 
bers, and  Dr.  Daniel  Bliss  as  President. 

This  institution  has  not  disappointed  the  promise  held 
out.  Year  after  year  it  has  welcomed  in  increasing  num- 
bers select  young  men  from  Syria  and  Egypt,  and,  im- 
parting to  them  its  training,  has  sent  them  out  to  be  in  their 
respective  communities  what  educated  men  always  are. 
Since  1879  the  English  language  has  been  the  medium  of 
instruction.  The  Medical  Department,  which  was  early 
added,  has  been  especially  useful  and  successful.  It  is  a 
testimony  to  its  importance  that  in  1882  the  Jesuits  felt  it 
advisable  to  open  a  rival  college.  The  Protestant  College 
has  a  steadily  growing  influence  throughout  the  land  by 
means  of  its  graduates.  The  annual  attendance  in  all  de- 
partments is  more  than  three  hundred. 

Churchf:s  and  Stations. 

"  He  commanded  us  to  preach  unto  the  people,"  said 
the  apostles.  The  Press  and  the  school  have  their  place  ; 
but  the  chief  agency  in  spreading  the  Kingdom  must  be  the 


36o  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

oral  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom.  It  may- 
happen,  however,  for  a  time  in  some  communities  that  the 
way  is  not  open  for  preaching  on  an  extended  scale.  Hence 
the  need  of  a  preparatory  work,  in  which  attention  is  given 
chiefly  to  methods  and  agencies  that  are  avowedly  subor- 
dinate. This  has  been  the  state  of  affairs  in  Syria.  The 
Moslems  especially  could  not  be  reached  by  preaching.  The 
most  that  could  be  done  for  them  was  through  the  Press  and 
the  school. 

Preaching,  however,  has  by  no  means  been  neglected. 
At  first  much  was  informal,  and  partook  of  the  nature  of 
conversation  and  individual  address.  The  missionaries 
admitted  all  comers  to  their  family  worship,  and  used  it  as  a 
means  of  making  known  the  truth.  The  early  efforts  were 
not  in  vain.  In  1827  a  little  band  of  twenty  converts  had 
been  gathered.  It  comprised  several  who  long  survived, 
and  since  have  been  very  useful  in  the  service.  One  had  a 
short  course,  and  received  the  martyr's  crown.  Asaad 
Shidiak  was  a  young  educated  Maronite,  teacher  of  science 
and  theology  in  a  convent,  and  afterwards  conductor  of  an 
Arabic  school  for  boys  in  Beirut.  There  he  became  a  con- 
vert to  Protestant  Christianity.  The  Maroniie  patriarch 
sent  for  him,  and  detained  him  in  custody,  trying  all  means 
to  reclaim  him.  Asaad  escaped,  but  was  again  taken.  It 
became  known  that  he  was  imprisoned  and  enchained  in  the 
convent  of  Canobin.  Occasional  glimpses  only  could  be 
had  of  his  situation.  He  lingered  through  a  few  years  of 
oppression  and  cruelty,  maintaining  his  Christian  profession 
to  the  last.  His  death  is  involved  in  obscurity,  but  is  sup- 
posed to  have  occurred  in  1830. 

For  many  years  the  converts  at  Beirut  were  received  into 
the  mission  church,  which  included  the  missionary  families 
there.  In  1848  the  native  Protestants  of  Beirut  petitioned  to 
be  set  off  in  a  church  by  themselves.  This  was  accord- 
ingly done.  The  next  year  this  church  had  a  membership 
of  twenty-seven.  Ten  were  from  the  Greek  Church,  four 
were  Greek  Catholics,  four  Maronites,  five  Armenians,  three 
Druzes,  and  one  a  Jacobite.  In  1869  a  fine  building,  well 
located,  provided  with  tower  and  bell,  was  completed. 

In  1844  there  was  an  interesting  movement  at  Hasbeiya. 
This  was  a  place  of  several  thousand  inhabitants,  mainly 
Druzes  and  Greeks,  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Hermon.  A  con- 
siderable body  seceded  from  the  Greek  Church,  declared 
themselves    Protestants,    and    applied    to    the   mission    for 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  36I 

instruction.  Their  motives  were  at  first  somewhat  mixed  ; 
but  the  course  of  affairs  showed  a  great  deal  of  sincerity 
and  earnestness.  Native  helpers  were  sent,  and  some  of 
the  missionaries  themselves  went  thither.  The  Greek  patri- 
arch at  Damascus  became  alarmed,  and  a  troop  of  horsemen 
were  sent  to  quarter  themselves  on  the  Protestant  families. 
The  Druzes  now  interfered  for  the  protection  of  the  Prot- 
estants, and  succeeded  in  checking  persecution  for  a  time. 
It  subsequently  broke  out  violently,  and  the  victims  were 
obliged  to  flee.  We  need  not  follow  the  course  of  events 
further  than  to  say  that  in  the  spring  of  1S47  the  Protest- 
ants of  Hasbeiya  succeeded  in  laying  their  grievances  before 
the  Sultan,  and  an  order  was  issued  that  they  be  protected 
and  no  one  allowed  to  disturb  them  in  their  meetings  and 
worship.  A  church  of  sixteen  members  w-as  formed  in 
July,  1 85 1,  which  increased  to  twenty- five  the  same  year. 
Good  testimony  is  given  respecting  it  in  the  following 
years.  Hasbeiya  suffered  greatly  in  the  war  of  i860.  It 
was  the  scene  of  a  terrible  massacre  by  the  Druzes,  and  the 
Protestant  house  of  worship  was  partially  destroyed  ;  but  of 
more  than  one  thousand  persons  murdered  there  and  in  the 
vicinity,  only  nine  were  Protestants.  "It  is,"  says  Dr. 
Ander.son,  "a  remarkable  fact  that,  excepting  perhaps  in 
Damascus,  no  injury  was  offered  to  a  missionary,  and  Prot- 
estants, when  recognized  as  such,  were  generally  safe." 

We  have  interesting  accounts  of  the  rise  and  progress  of . 
the  native  churches  at  Sidon.  at  Tripoli,  at  Hums  ;  but  on 
these  we  cannot  dw^ell.  The  general  features  are  the  same. 
The  work  begins,  and  then  local  persecution  arises.  At 
Hums,  the  native  brethren  are  stoned  and  beaten  in  the 
streets.  At  Safeeta,  in  1867,  the  whole  Protestant  com- 
munity is  arrested,  released,  driven  into  the  wilderness,  and 
their  houses  plundered.  What  Syrian  converts,  from 
Asaad  Shidiak  down,  have  been  willing  to  endure,  shows 
how  genuine  has  been  the  work  of  grace  in  their  hearts. 

When  the  Syrian  Mission  was  transferred  to  the  care 
of  the  Presbyterian  Board  it  was  wisely  left  to  time  to 
prepare  the  way  for  the  change  which  should  bring  the 
mission  into  conformity  with  the  Presbyterian  sy.stem. 
This  course  has  been  vindicated  by  the  result.  At  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  mission,  December,  1882,  the  plan 
of  the  formation  of  a  Synod  and  five  Presbyteries,  to  have 
no  organic  ecclesiastical  connection  with  churches  in  Great 
Britain    or  the  United   States,  was    unanimously    adopted. 


362  HISTORICAL  SKETCH   OF 

This  plan  has  been  carried  out  so  far  as  the  organization 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Sidon,  at  Jedeideh,  in  October,  1883  ; 
one  at  Amar,  in  the  Tripoli  field,  in  September,  1890  ; 
and  the  Presbytery  of  Lebanon,  which  includes  the  churches 
of  the  Mount  Lebanon  district  and  the  First  Church  of 
Beirut,  in  June,  1896. 

The  meetings  of  these  Presbyteries  show  that  the  Syrian 
Church  is  learning  the  lessons  of  "concerted  action,  the 
validity  of  representative  authority,  and  the  majority  rule," 
and  the  responsibility  of  self-support. 

The  Syrian  Mission  naturally  divides  itself  into  five 
fields,  the  principal  point  in  each  serving  as  a  centre  for 
evangelistic  work,  which  is  carried  on  by  means  of  out- 
stations  and  itineration,  the  missionaries  being  assisted  by 
native  pastors,  teachers  and  colporteurs. 

In  Beirut  there  has  been  steady  advance.    The 
Beirut  oldest,  or  Central  Church,  prospers.     A  beau- 

tiful chapel,  built  at  the  expense  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Henry  Dale,  of  New  York,  was  dedicated  in 
December,  1880,  and  provides  needed  accomsiodation  for 
Sunday-school  work.  The  experiment  of  a  native  pastor- 
ate was  tried  in  1883,  but  without  success,  and  the  position 
of  pastor  has  been  held  by  Rev.  H.  H.  Jessup,  D.D.  In 
1888,  by  the  advice  of  the  missionaries,  the  church  ex- 
tended a  call  to  Rev.  Salim  el  Hakim,  of  Hasbeiya,  to 
•  become  their  pastor.  This  call  was  not  accepted,  and  sub- 
sequentl)^  Rev.  Yusif  Bedr,  pastor  of  the  native  church  at 
Hums,  was  invited  to  become  Dr.  Jessup's  assistant.  In  1890 
he  became  pastor,  and  took  the  full  charge  of  the  church. 

The  church  became  weakened  subsequently  by  internal 
dissension,  a  portion  of  the  congregation  withdrawing  and 
organizing  a  separate  church.  The  Rev.  Yusif  Bedr  was 
compelled  to  withdraw  in  impaired  health  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  Asaad  Abdullah,  who  remained  until  1896, 
when  ill-health  required  his  temporary  absence,  the  pulpit 
being  supplied  by  Mr.  Yusif  Atiyeh. 

The  building  occupied  by  this  church  is  also  used  by  the 
Anglo-American  Congregation  of  Beirut,  which  is  under 
the  pastoral  care  of  Rev.  G.  M.  Mackie,  of  the  Established 
Church  of  Scotland. 

The  Second  or  Native  Church,  as  they  prefer  to  be 
called,  continues  its  separate  life  and  it  is  earnestly  hoped 
that  two  active  evangelical  churches  may  soon  be  working 
in  perfect  harmony  in  Beirut. 


THK    MISSIONS    IX    SYRIA.  363 

Other  preaching  stations  have  been  opened  in  Beirut,  and 
there  are  now  five  congregations  which  liear  the  gospel 
regularly,  numbering  in  the  aggregate  about  820,  and  the 
Sabbath-schools  in  connection  with  our  mission  have  about 
520  pupils.     There  are  about  350  in  other  Sabbath-schools. 

Sidon  field  now  contains  eleven  churches. 
Sidon  Government  interference  has  hindered  the  work 

at  some  points,  closing  schools  and  churches, 
depriving  Protestants  of  their  legal  rights  and  stimulating 
the  zeal  of  the  enemies  of  the  gospel  to  many  new  efforts  to 
impede  its  progress.  In  spite  of  such  hindrances  the  prog- 
ress in  this  field  is  encouraging  ;  advance  is  steadily  made  in 
the  direction  of  self-support  and  benevolence,  while  the 
growth  in  membership,  especially  from  the  pupils  of  the 
various  schools,  is  steady. 

The  area  and  population  of  this  district  com- 
Tripoli  prise  about  half  that  of  the  whole  mission.     It 

contains  one  thousand  cities  and  villages,  the 
most  important  of  which,  Tripoli,  El  Meena,  Hamath  and 
Hums,  are  now  connected  by  a  carriage  road.  There  are 
eight  organized  churches  in  this  field  with  about  six  hun- 
dred members,  showing  a  net  increase  of  nearly  10  per  cent 
a  3'ear.  The  emigration  fever  which  affected  Mt.  Lebanon 
in  earlier  years  has  carried  away  very  many  Protestants  from 
Tripoli  field  more  recently.  The  extent  of  the  field  renders 
much  touring  necessary  for  the  oversight  of  the  churches 
and  schools.  In  early  years  strife  of  sects  was  particularly 
virulent  and  the  converts  were  subjected  to  long-continiied 
and  bitter  persecution.  The  report  of  1890  states:  "It  has 
been  a  pleasure  to  see  an  increase  of  brotherly  love  and 
Christian  zeal.  In  more  than  one  place  a  period  of  lethargy 
has  been  followed  by  a  time  of  earnest  work  and  more  dili- 
gent study  of  the  Scriptures.'' 

In  1893  Aleppo  was  added  to  the  Tripoli  field 
Aleppo  extending  the  work  to  the  limit  of  the  Arabic 

speaking  territory.  A  native  worker  was 
located  there  and  later  a  school  opened,  missionaries  from 
Tripoli  visiting  the  city  twice  a  year  to  oversee  the  work- 
in  1897  this  work  was  transferred  to  the  Presbyterian  Church 
of  England,  which  had  already  inaugurated  effort  among 
the  Jews  in  that  city. 

Abeih  and         ^^^  Abeih  and    Zahleh    fields    have   suffered 
Zahleh  much  from  emigration.     It  was  estimated  that 

within  two  or  three  years  twenty-five  thousand 


364  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

Syrians  left  Mt.  Lebanon  for  North  and  South  America. 
The  region  was  overrun  in  1883  by  Egyptian  refugees,  of 
whose  evil  influence  mention  has  been  made.  There  has 
been  more  or  less  determined  opposition  at  various  points. 
Nevertheless,  there  has  been  advance  marked  by  gain  in 
members,  increase  in  contributions,  and  healing  of  divisions. 

The  work  was  begun  at  Zahleh,  in  1872,  and  the  first 
church  organized  the  following  year.  There  has  been  much 
opposition,  which  is  largely  due  to  the  influence  of  zealous 
bishops  who  lose  no  opportunity  to  obstruct  gospel  work  ; 
nevertheless  progress  has  been  rapid  and  on  a  gratifying 
scale.  The  people,  except  the  papists,  are  friendly  and 
anxious  to  obtain  education  for  their  children.  "Best  of  all, 
tlie  Bible  is  owned  and  read,  and  that  bishop  or  priest  is  rash 
who  would  attempt  to  hinder  people  from  owning  and  read- 
ing this  best  of  all  books."  There  are  19  preaching  points 
with  an  average  attendance  of  565;  15  Sabbath  schools  with 
over  1000  children. 

At  all  these  points  the  work  of  preaching  is  supple- 
mented by  personal  visitation,  praj^er- meetings,  meetings  of 
women  for  sewing  and  Scripture  instruction,  by  some  of 
which  Moslem  women  are  reached.  Societies  for  benevo- 
lent work  give  the  native  women  opportunities  to  send  the 
gospel  message  to  others  more  ignorant  than  themselves, 
while  Mission  Bands  and  Societies  of  Christian  Endeavor 
are  important  agencies  for  developing  the  young  people  of 
the  stations  in  Christian  character  and  preparing  them  for 
usefulness. 

IMedical  Work. 

It  is  interesting  that  this  should  become  a  feature  of  gos- 
pel work  in  the  land  once  trodden  by  the  Great  Physician. 
The  Medical  Department  of  the  college  is  educating  native 
physicians  to  relieve  the  suffering  among  their  own  people, 
while  Drs.  Post,  Graham  and  other  members  of  the  Medical 
Faculty  have  gained  a  gr.at  influence  by  means  of  their 
skill  and  kindness.  The  Hospital  of  the  Prussian  Knights 
of  St.  John,  under  the  care  of  the  Deaconesses  of  Kaisers- 
werth,  is  served  by  the  medical  staff  of  the  college.  The 
number  of  patients  treated  annually  in  the  wards  is  about 
500,  while  a  polyclinic  held  daily  reaches  from  10,000  to 
15,000  each  year. 

Patients  come  from  all  parts  of  Syria  and  from  Egypt, 
and  carry  back  with   them  to  their  homes  impressions  of 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA.  365 

Christian  love  as  well  as  direct  gospel  teaching.  The  itin- 
erations of  the  late  Dr.  C.  W.  Calhonn  and  his  services  at 
Tripoli,  followed  by  those  of  Dr.  Harris,  have  opened  the 
way  for  gospel  work.  The  dispensary  at  Tripoli  calls 
together  a  large  number  at  every  clinic.  Many  of  these  are 
Moslems,  and,  they  hear  the  gospel  read  and  explained 
before  receiving  medical  attention. 

In  1893,  Dr.  Mary  Pierson  Eddy,  daughter  of  Rev. 
\V.  W.  Eddy,  D.D.,  of  Beirut,  having  completed  a  thor- 
ough course  of  medical  study  in  America,  returned  to  Syria 
as  a  missionary  physician.  She  was  the  first  woman  to 
receive  the  sanction  of  the  Turkish  Government  to  practice 
medicine  within  the  empire.  Making  her  headquarters  at 
Beirut,  Dr.  Eddy  has  conducted  medical  work  at  various 
points,  desiring  especially  to  reach  regions  where  the  gospel 
lias  not  previously  been  proclaimed. 

Conclusion. 

The  twenty -seven  3'ears  since  the  transfer  of  the  Syria 
Mission  to  the  care  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  have  wit- 
nessed a  growth  that  furnishes  ground  for  devout  thanks- 
giving. In  1870,  the  year  of  the  transfer,  there  were  8 
ordained  American  missionaries  under  commission  and  10 
women,  including  wives.  Now  there  are  13  ordained  mis- 
sionaries, 2  medical  missionaries,  one  being  a  woman,  and 
23  other  women.  In  1870  there  were  2  ordained  native 
ministers,  13  licentiates  and  48  teachers  and  helpers  ;  now 
there  are  4  native  pastors,  42  licentiates  and  evangelists,  169 
native  teachers.  The  number  of  communicants  has  in- 
creased from  294  to  2247  and  the  number  of  pupils  in  the 
mission  schools  from  1671  to  7748. 

With  such  looks  backward  to  mark  progress,  and  with 
careful  study  of  the  present  condition  of  the  land,  we  see 
indeed  that  it  is  one  "  where  the  enemy  is  most  strongly  in- 
trenched, and  is  making  a  desperate  stand;"  but  we  see 
also  that  there  are  already  thousands  of  children  in  Protest- 
ant schools  ;  that  literary  and  scientific  education  has  been 
given  to  many  young  men  ;  that  the  taste  for  reading  has 
been  formed  in  many  and  provision  made  for  its  satisfaction ; 
that  native  teachers  and  physicians,  trained  under  evangel- 
ical influences,  are  making  themselves  felt  at  many  points  ; 
that  woman  is  rapidly  assuming  her  proper  place  in  social 
life,    and   many  new   homes    of  purity    and    happiness   are 


366  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

formed  and  forming  ;  that  Protestant  communities  are  grow- 
ing, and  congregations  are  increasing,  and  the  roll  of  com- 
municants lengthening.  No  doubt,  much  of  toil,  perhaps 
of  sorrow,  of  tribulation,  remains.  But  what  has  been 
done  and  gained  is  enough  to  confirm  even  a  feeble  faith  as 
to  what  the  outcome  must  be. 

In  view  of  our  Syrian  Mission  as  we  have  now  contem- 
plated it,  we.  may  ask,  as  another  has  already  done  :  "Is  it 
not  a  work  of  which  patriotism  alone  might  well  make  an 
American  proud  ?  The  name  of  his  country  has  been  made 
a  synonym  in  the  East,  not  for  political  aggression  and 
intrigue,  but  for  education,  truth  and  religion.  And  the 
American  Church  should  offer  praise  lo  God  for  the  won- 
derful works  which  He  has  wrought  in  our  time  through 
His  faithful  servants.  They  should  now  unite  in  prayer 
that  the  last  barrier,  the  iron  gate  of  Moslem  bigotry  and 
intolerance,  may  open  at  His  word,  and  give  liberty  for 
evangelism  among  the  Mohammedan  populations.'' 

STATISTICS  1897. 

Missionaries ,..        39 

Native  helpers 215 

Churches 28 

Communicants 2,247 

Pupils  in  schools 7,74^ 

Pupils  in  Sabbath-schools 5,815 

STATIONS  1897. 

Beirut,  occupied  in  1823;  Rev.  W.  W.  Eddv,  D.D.,  and  Mrs. 
Eddy,  Rev.  H.  H.  Jessup,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Jessup,  Mrs.  C.  V.  A.  Van 
Dyck,  Rev.  James  S.  Dennis,  D.D.,  and  Mrs.  Dennis,  Miss  E.  A. 
Thomson,  Miss  Alice  S.  Barber,  Miss  Ellen  M.  Law,  Miss  Mary  Pier- 
son  Eddy,  M.D. ,  Mr.  E.  G.  Freyer  and  Mrs.  Freyer;  i  native  preacher, 
14  native  teachers  acd  helpers. 

Abeih,  on  Mt.  Lebanon,  15  miles  southeast  of  Beirut;  occupied 
1843;  ^ev.  William  Bird  and  Mrs.  Bird.  Rev.  O.J.  Hardin  and  Mrs. 
Hardin,  Miss  Emily  G.  Bird  and  Rev.  Geo.  C.  Doolittle  and  Mrs. 
Doolittle;  28  out-stations,  native  preachers,  10  licentiates,  and  58 
native  teachers  and  helpers. 

Tripoli,  on  the  seacoast,  50  miles  north  of  Beirut,  occupied  1848; 
Rev.  F.  W.  March  and  Mrs.  March,  Rev.  William  S.  Nelson,  D.D., 
and  Mrs.  Nelson,  Ira  Harris,  M.D.,  and  Mrs.  Harris,  Miss  Harriet  La 
Grange  and  Miss  Bernice  Hunting;  22  out-stations,  i  native  preacher, 
14  licentiates  and  37  teachers  and  helpers. 

SiDON,  on  the  seacoast,  30  miles  south  of  Beirut,  occupied  1851; 
Rev.  William  K.  Eddy  and  Mrs.  Eddy,  Rev.  George   A.  Ford,  D.D  , 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SYRIA. 


367 


Rev.  Samuel  Jessup,  D.D.,  Miss  Fanny  M.Jessup,  Miss  Charlotte  H. 
Brown,  Miss  M.  Louise  L,aw;  24  out-stations,  3  native  preachers,  13 
licentiates,  6  native  helpers  and  teachers. 

Z.VHLKH,  on  the  eastern  slope  of  Mt.  Lebanon,  35  miles  from 
Beirut;  occupied  1872;  Rev.  Franklin  K-  Hoskins  and  Mrs.  Hoskins, 
Rev.  William  Jessup  and  Mrs.  Jessup;  17  out-stations,  i  native 
preacher,  8  licentiates,  and  26  teachers  and  helpers. 

INIlSSION ARIES   IN    SyrIA,    1870-1897. 

*Dietl.    -f-Transferreci  from  the  American  Board.    Figures,  Term  of  .Service  in  the 
Field. 

Harris,  Mrs.,  1885 

Hoskins,  Rev.  F.  E.,    1888 
Hoskins,  Mrs.  (Miss 

H.  M.  Edd3^  1875),  1888 
Holmes,  Miss  M.  C, 
Hunting,  Miss  B., 
Jackson,  Miss  Ellen, 
Jessup,    Rev.    H.    H., 
D.D.,f 

*Jessup,  Mrs., 

*Jessup,  Mrs., 
Jessup,  Mrs., 
Jessup,    Rev.   Samuel, 
D.D.,t. 

*Jessup,  Mrs., 
Jessup,  Rev.  William, 
Jessup,  Mrs., 
Jessup,  Miss  Fanny, 
Johnston,  Rev.  W.  L., 
Johnston,  Mrs  , 
Kipp,  Miss  M., 
La  Grange,  Miss  H., 
Law,  Miss  E.  M., 
Law,  Miss  M.  L., 
Loring,  Miss  S.  B., 
Lyons,  Miss  M   M., 
March,  Rev.  F.  W., 
March,  Mrs., 

Nelson, Rev.W.S.,D.D.  1888 
Nelson,  Mrs.,  1888 

Pond,  Rev.  T.  S.,  1873-1890 

Pond,  Mrs.,  1873-1890 

Thomson,  Rev.W.  M., 11833-1877 

*Thomson,  Mrs.,  1833-1873 

Thomson,  Miss  E   A.,  1876 

*Van    Dyck,    Rev. 

C   V.  A.,t  1840-1895 

Van  Dyck,  Mrs  ,  1840 

Van  Dyck,  Miss  L.,  1875-1879 
Watson,  Rev.  W.  S.,  1889-1892 
Watson,  Mrs.,  1889-1892 

*  Wood,  Rev.  F.  A.,         1871-1878 
Wood,  Mrs.,  1871-1878 


Barber,  Miss  Alice  S., 

1885 

Bird,  Rev.  William,! 

1853 

Bird,  Mrs  , 

1S53 

Bird,  Miss  E.  G., 

1S79 

Brown,  Miss  C.  H., 

1S85 

Brown,  Miss  Rebecca, 

I 885- I 892 

*Calhoun,  Rev.  S.  H.,t 

1843-1876 

Calhoun,  Mrs., 

1843-1887 

*Calhoun,C.  W.,M.D., 

1879-1883 

Calhoun,  MissS.  H., 

1879-1885 

Cundall,  MissF., 

1879-1883 

*Dale,  Rev.  G.  F., 

1872-J887 

Dale.  Mrs.  (Miss  M. 

Bliss), 

1879-1895 

*Danforth,  G.  B.,M.D. 

1871-1875 

•*Danforth,  Mrs., 

1871-1881 

Dennis,    Rev.    J.    S., 

D.D.,t 

1867 

Dennis,  Mrs., 

1872 

Doolittle,  Rev.  G.  C, 

^1893 

Doolittle,  Mrs., 

1893 

Eddy,    Rev.    W.    W., 

D.D.,t 

185 1 

Eddy,  Mrs., 

1851 

Eddy,  Rev.  W.  K., 

1878 

Eddy,  Mrs.  (Miss  B. 

M.  Nelson,  1881), 

1884 

Eddy,  Mary  P.,  M.D., 

1893 

Everett,  Miss  E.  D.,+ 

1868-1895 

Fisher,  Miss  H.  M., 

1873-1875 

Ford,   Mrs.    M.    P., 

i88i-'85; 

1894 

Ford,  Miss  Sarah  A., 

1883-18S5 

Ford,Rev.G.A.,D.D., 

1880 

Ford,  Miss  M.  T.  M., 

1887- I 895 

Freyer,  Mr.  E.  G., 

1894 

Freyer,  Mrs., 

1894 

^Greenlee,  Rev.  W.  M. 

1884-1887 

Greenlee,  Mrs,  (Miss 

Alice  Bird), 

1886-1887 

Hardin,  Rev.  0.  J., 

1871 

Hardin,  Mrs., 

1871 

Harris,  Ira,  (M.D.), 

1884 

1884- 

1895 

1896 

1870- 

1884 

1855 

1855- 

1864 

1867- 

1881 

1884 

1863 

1863- 

1895 

1890 

1890 

1895 

1879- 

1S80 

1879- 

1880 

1872- 

1875 

1876 

1892 

1893 

1870- 

1873 

1877- 

1880 

1873 

1880 

368         HISTORICAL  SKETCH  OF  THE  MISSIONS  IN  SYRIA. 

Books  of  Reference. 

Among  the  Holy  Hills.     H.  M.  Field.     $1.50. 

Among  the  Turks.     Cyrus  Hamlin. 

Autobiography  of  Dr.  W.  G.  Schauffler. 

Bible  Lands.     H.  J.  Van  Lennep.     2  v.     I5.00. 

Bible  Work  in  Bible  Lands.     Rev.  J   Bird.     $1.50. 

Five  years  in  Damascus.     J.  L,.  Porter.     $3.75. 

Fortj'  years  in  the  Turkish  Empire.  (Life  of  Dr.  Goodell.)  H- 
D.  G.  Prime. 

History  of  Missions  of  A.  B.  C.  F.  M.  Vol.  Oriental  Churches. 
Rufus  Anderson. 

Letters  from  Armenia.    J.  Rendel  Harris  and  Helen  B.  Harris. 

Mahomet  and  Islam.     Sir  W.  Muir.     45. 

Mohammed;  Speeches  and  Table  Talk.  Stanley  Lane  Poole. 
4^.  6d. 

Sinai  and  Palestine.     A.  P.  Stanley.     $3.00. 

Social  and  Religious  Life  in  the  Orient.     K.  H.  Basmajian.    $1.00. 

Sweet  First  Fruits:  a  Tale  of  the  Nineteenth  Century.  Trans- 
lated from  Arabic  with  Introduction  by  Sir  W.  Muir.     $1.00'. 

Syrian  Home  Life.     H.  H.Jessup.     $1.50. 

The  Land  and  the  Book.     W.  M.  Thomson.     3  v.     $18.00. 

The  Mohammedan   Missionary  Problem.     H.  H.Jessup.     75  cts. 

The  Ride  through  Palestine.     J.  W.  Lulles.     $2.00. 

The  Romance  of  Missions.     M.  A.  West.     $1.50. 

Women  of  the  Arabs.     H.  H.  Jessup,  D  D.     $2.00. 


ADDITIONAL  HELPS 


As  adilitioiiiil  helps  In  missionary  study  and   especially   in    roliowin{>;   the 

oil  rent  lilstoiy  of  I'resbjterian   Missions  the  following  publi. 

cations  are  recommended  to  the  reader. 


Annual  Reports  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 
156  Fifth  Avenue,  New  York. 

Annual  Reports  of  the  Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Boards  and  Societies. 

The  Church  at  Home  and  Abroad. 

Published  mouthly  by  order  of  the  General  Assembly  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  Witherspoou  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Price,  li.oo  per  year. 

"Woman's  "Work  for  Woman. 

Published  mouthly  by  the  Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Boards 
and  Societies  of  the  Pre-sbyteriau  Church,  156  Fifth  Avenue, 
New  York.     Price,  50  cents  per  year. 

Over  Sea  and  Land. 

Published  monthly  l)y  the  Women's  Home  and  Foreign  Mis- 
sionary Boards  and  Societies  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
Witherspoou  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa.     Price,  35c.  per  year. 

Missionary  Review  of  the  World. 

Published  monthly,  30  Lafayette  Place,  New  York.  Price, 
$2.50  per  year. 

Question  Books  on  the  Mission  Fields  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Published  by  the  Woman's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  Witlierspoon  Building,  Philadelphia,  Pa. 
Price,  5  cents  each,  50  cents  per  set  of  eleven. 

Foreign  Missions  after  a  Century  .  Rev.  James  S.  Dennis,  D.D. 
Modern  Missions  in  the  East  .  .  Rev.  E.  A.  Lawrence,  D  D. 
Women  in  Missions  .  Compiled  by  Rev.  E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D. 

Missions  at  Home  and  Abroad  .  .  Rev.  E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D. 
Memorials  of  Foreign  Missionaries  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  U.S.A. 

William  Rankin 
Christian  Missions  and  Social  Progress         .        Rev.  J.  S.  Dennis,  D.D. 

Proceedings  of  Fifth  Conference  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Boards  of  the 
United  States  and  Canada,  J897. 


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